


Of Triangles and Pine Trees

by adoritotree (AlgaLenn), NightWing18



Series: The RP Archive [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Adult Dipper Pines, Anal Sex, BDSM, Bill plays the piano, Blood Drinking, Blow Jobs, Bottom Dipper Pines, Childhood Trauma, Cursed objects, Demon Bill Cipher, Dipper's been through hell and back okay?, Dream Sex, Dream Sharing, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Constipation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, From Pine Tree to Sapling to Mason, Ghosts, Grief/Mourning, Heavy Angst, Human Bill Cipher, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide attempt, Kinda?, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Playing Fast and Loose with Bill's powers here, Submissive Dipper Pines, Suicidal Thoughts, Vampirism, but it's fun so whatever, dark themes, dream walking, everyone's been through hell and back, wet dreams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-05-13 01:39:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 117,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14739650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlgaLenn/pseuds/adoritotree, https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightWing18/pseuds/NightWing18
Summary: Roughly 10 years after Weirdmageddon, the Axolotl brings Bill back to life. Of course, there's a catch: he's human and the closest place for him to find shelter is The Mystery Shack.





	1. A Stranger in the Shack?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So I was thinking about finding a place to archive one of my RPs, so that it would be easier to re-read stuff if I needed to and all that, and I thought 'hey, maybe someone might like to read it so why not AO3?'. So here you have it, the RP that me and NightWing18 have been writing for months now. It started as BillDip and ended up turning into a HUGE monster that I'm going posting divided by chapters. This way I don't feel so terrible for leaving Reality is an Illusion on hiatus (if you're reading that, sorry, probably will take me a long time to update, roleplaying is easy, I do it during my breaks, but writing a whole story by myself takes too long and with college I just can't, THAT DOESN'T MEAN I WON'T FINISH IT THOUGH, DON'T WORRY). - Alga
> 
> Fair warning, given this is an RP there might be some inconsistences in the story, given as we're making it up as we go, we're only human and can't remember every single detail and we don't always have time to check our past replies.
> 
> Remember, THIS IS AN RP THREAT, not a fic, so yeah, it's probably not going to be as attractive for some, but since I enjoy reading RPs every once in a while I assumed other people would too. Night is always Dipper and I'm always Bill, we take turns for the rest of the characters.
> 
> Anyway, if you do read this and enjoy it, let us know! There's quite a journey ahead for these characters...
> 
> (Tags will be updated as I post more chapters)

**Bill appeared in the middle of the forest. His whole body hurt, like he had crashed there, but there was no crater or anything of the sort. He looked around and immediately recognized**

**Gravity Falls' forest. The dream demon stood up and inspected his surroundings a little bit more carefully. He found a triangular shape half buried in the ground, covered with moss. He approached it and got rid of some of the moss and dirt to reveal what he had been expecting. His old body... So, definitely a different time, just like the Axolotl had told him, and as he looked down at himself he groaned. He had been promised a different form too but... "Really? A meat-sack?" He shouted at the heavens, as if expecting the Axolotl to give him an explanation, but of course nothing happened.**

**Bill groaned and rubbed his face, coming in contact with an eyepatch. He took it off and inspected it. It was generic, plain, had no flair to it. He looked down again to take a better look at his clothes. Same thing. He was wearing a grey hoodie and black pants. The asshole couldn't even give him a proper attire... Bill sighed and snapped his fingers to try and change it to something more fitting for someone like him, but nothing happened. That did make him mad and he kicked his statue, intending to break it, but he only managed to hurt himself. Bill took a deep breath and put on the eyepatch again -he supposed that if the Axolotl had given it to him it was important-. It was okay, he only needed a plan, he was in Gravity Falls after all, the town was a magnet for all things weird, he just needed to figure out how to use that to his advantage and get his powers back.**

**With that in mind, the demon started walking to the Mystery Shack, that seemed like the perfect place to start.**

Mabel and Dipper continued to come back to Gravity Falls every summer, working in the Mystery Shack until school came around. Things were still weird, it was/ Gravity Falls, after all. But now, years after the events of that first summer, with the twins finishing High School and starting to figure out what they wanted to do with their lives, they were able to handle it all better.

Dipper had started keeping his own journal with his own observations, making more frequent trips into the surrounding woods to see if he could discover something new, or learn that extra little tidbit that hadn't been discovered before.

That wasn't what he was doing now, though. Mabel was out with her friends, leaving Dipper to man the store and the, mostly steady, stream of customers coming in and out. Things were quiet, though, so he was more daydreaming than actually working, doodling in his notebook.

**With how much his body was aching and how tired he felt, it took Bill way longer than he had expected to find the Mystery Shack. The demon wasn't sure if he was feeling hunger or thirst or both, most human sensations were new to him. Being human really sucked and the former dream demon wasn't even sure if he would be able to make it for longer than a week... But he was already back so at least he had to try.**

**By the times Bill reached the Mystery Shack, the beautiful sunny day that had seen his return was starting to come to an end, the sun setting in the distance. He sighed in relief and hoped that whoever was still in that place would take pity on him and give him at least a glass of water. The blond walked up to the door and was pleased to find that next to it was a sign letting people know that they were hiring. Someone had left then... Most likely it was the redhead... What was her name again? Well, it wasn't important or he would remember. This was perfect for Bill, if he could get a job at the shack he would have lots of moments in which he could try to access the secrets the place still held. Yes, perfect plan. Bill knocked a couple of times and waited for someone to open. He assumed it would be Stan.**

Dipper was starting to clean up, straightening the displays and starting to sweep up the general mess that was left behind from the hustle and bustle of shoppers. Humming softly as he worked, glancing out the window to watch the sunset for a few minutes before getting back to work. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could leave and go do something more valuable with his time.

And that was when someone tapped on the door, and he sighed softly. Technically he wasn't closed yet, so Dipper really couldn't just ignore it, but he really didn't want to go through it again. Setting the broom aside, he brushed off his hands and straightened his shirt slightly, rolling up his sleeves to reveal the tattoos on his arms ([Dipper’s tattoos](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/74/4a/ab/744aab7e85d020ed038201453c447ec3.jpg)) as he went to do the door. "Welcome to the Mys- Are you okay?" His speech was cut off instantly at the sight of the person in front of him. Dusty and tired and generally poor looking. "Uh, come in, okay?"

**For a brief second Bill just stared at the guy in front of him. He knew it was Dipper, he could tell it was the nerdy kid that had managed to defeat him, but he had changed a lot and it took the demon a moment to get used to the other's new appearance. The demon nodded and walked into the shack, immediately heading for the first chair he could find. In his mind he was grinning like a mad man. If Dipper was the person he would have to deal with then he wouldn't have too much of a problem, the kid had always been easy to trick, way too trusting, he was sure he would let him have a glass of water and a place to sleep and the job as too if he played his cards well, if he looked helpless... And going by his current situation that wouldn't be too much of a challenge. "Better now." Bill reassured the human and tried not to cringe at his voice. He sounded so... human. He hated it, but at least Pine Tree wouldn't recognize it. "I just had the worst day of my life." Bill let out a bitter laugh and rubbed his uncovered eye. "Do you mind if I ask you for some water?"**

Dipper frowned a little, watching the battered human wondering into the Shack and taking a seat near the counter. He had learned a lot in the last few years, and he was a lot less trusting then he had been when he started out. But he also couldn't just leave someone on the steps when it was clear they needed help. "Yeah, of course, you can have some water," he hummed, grabbing a water bottle from behind the counter and handing it over.

**Bill sighed in relief and took the bottle. He opened it and took a long swing from it. The sensation that it gave him was incredible and Bill wondered if that was the kind of pleasure humans were so fond of. He almost downed half the bottle before putting it down and looking up at his enemy. He smirked. "Thanks." He caught himself about to call the kid Pine Tree just in time. "Sorry about all of this, I just... I thought I would never come across human civilization again." The former demon let out a bitter laugh and looked down at himself. He pretended to check his pockets and cursed under his breath. "I don't have any money..."**

Dipper leaned back against the counter, hands in his pockets and arms resting on the surface as e waited for the mysterious strange to finish guzzling down the water. He thought about stopping him, but it was clear he needed it, so... Dipper left it alone. “Any time,” he responded, returning the smirk with one of his own. “Hey, it’s okay. I’ve been lost in the woods before, I know the feeling,” he assured, before his smirk softened into a smile. “It’s just water, you don’t have to pay for it. Are you going to be okay, though? You look a little worse for wear.”

**"I hope I will." Bill's shoulders dropped and he handed Dipper the water before looking out of the window. In his mind he was already coming up with a story, in case the other asked him what he had been doing in walking through the woods alone with nothing but what he was wearing. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do now though, I lost everything...." It was amazing how that really wasn't a lie. Bill really had no idea exactly what to do, he had a goal but he wasn't sure how he would get there yet. "I shouldn't bother you..." Bill started standing up but ended up falling back on the chair and groaning in pain, as if he had no energy to stay on his feet. It was mostly an act.**

Dipper set the half-full bottle down next to him, watching the other with a careful eye. Questions were crowding to the front of his mind, but life experience had also taught him a little tact, and he didn’t ask right away. Most of them could wait until the stranger was in better condition. Like what he was doing out so late, where the eye patch came from. What had actually happened to him out there. In a flash he was standing, closing the distance between them to rest a hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be okay, just take it easy. What’s your name? Do you have any family or friends we can call?” Dipper asked, sliding his free hand back into his pocket to fish out his cell.

**Bill sighed and closed his eye, then he shook his head. "No, not anymore." The former demon rubbed his face and let out a long yawn. This feeling he knew it well, from when he had possessed Dipper's body all those years ago: he was exhausted. "I'm William." He lied. The blond opened his eye again and looked up at the human. "What about you?" Part of him was hoping Pine Tree wouldn't say Dipper, he hated calling the kid by that name, it was silly and he would rather call him by his real name, but that was just wishful thinking and Bill knew it.**

“I’m sorry,” Dipper murmured, shaking his head a little. That sucked, really, not having anyone in the world to look out for you, or care if you came home safely. Which explained why William didn’t seem to worried about someone finding him, now that Dipper thought about it. “Oh, I’m Dipper,” he responded with a little smile. Alright, time to get down to business. William didn’t have anywhere to go, and didn’t have money for a room. So... Dipper could either leave him outside to fend for himself, pay for a hotel room for him, or offer him a place to crash. “Listen, it’s getting late, and it’ll be way too dark to even hope of finding your way back. Why don’t you crash here for the night?”

**Bill had to fight of a smirk. He had known it would be easy to trick the human into letting him stay, even more so in his current state. "Really? You wouldn't mind?" The demon asked to keep up with the act. Slowly but surely he was gaining the kid's trust, this was the first step. "I really could use some rest." Bill chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "I don't mind taking a sofa... actually I can even sleep on the floor, no problem."**

“No, I wouldn’t mind. Neither should my sister or uncle, but I’ll just text Mabel quick and let her know.” Dipper was already typing away, humming faintly before pocketing his phone again. “Yeah, I can tell it really looks like it.” He folded his arms, shaking his head. “You can take my bed.” In his safe room, where nothing mysterious was. “I’ll take the couch.” That way, William would be kept out of the family secrets, and if he did go snooping or wondering around, Dipper would be able to stop him.

**Well... That ruined Bill's plans to start snooping around the house, but the truth was he really was tired and he wasn't even sure he would be able to start doing that immediately. It would be better if he just rested and saved some energy for the next day. "That's really kind, Dipper." It would take Bill some time to get used to calling him that... "You don't have to... Really, I could just sleep on the floor next to your bed if you're worried about me staying down here with the merchandise." He smiled.**

“It’s not me being worried, besides the fact that nothing here is actually worth that much if you stole it,” Dipper said casually, covering up the fact that he was just a little worried about what William might find. “You look like you need the rest, and a night on a bed will do more good than a night on a sofa. So just take the offer, okay?” He grinned.

**The demon grinned in return and nodded, then he tried to stand up again, this time using Dipper as support. "I'll find the way to make it up to you." Bill said and winked at the other guy, unable to resist the need to do it. There were a thousand ways to interpret a gesture like that one so he didn't think the Pines twin would think too much of it. "Do you mind if I go to sleep right now? I don't know how much longer I'll be able to stay up."**

Dipper didn’t even think before he wrapped his arm around William’s waist, making sure to keep him up and balanced. Blushing a little at the wink and shaking his head, he cleared his throat a little. “Nah, you really don’t have to. Happy to help.” Glancing around, he half shrugged. “Sure, I’ll take you to my room,” he murmured, keeping his arm in place as he started walking.

**Bill let Dipper guide him to his room and tell him which bed to use -although he didn't think Mabel would care if he used hers- and soon the former demon was taking off his dirty shoes and getting ready to sleep for the first time in his life. Sleep for real, like a human did, with dreams and nightmares... The idea made him a little nervous.**

Dipper carefully deposited him on his bed, leaving him there to grab a couple things. Glass of water, another blanket and pillow. Just in case William wanted them. Setting them on the bed so it could be made any way William wanted, Dipper paused. “Are you.. okay?” He asked gently.

**Bill sighed and couldn't avoid rolling his eyes a little. What kind of question was that really? Even going by his fake story -a man wandering alone in the woods with nothing but what he's wearing turns up at a tourist trap about to pass out- who would ask that sort of thing? Wasn't it obvious that no, no he wasn't okay? Bill took a deep breath. He had to be more patient with Pine Tree, he knew that. "I'll feel better in the morning. Thanks for the water, by the way, for everything."**

Dipper shook his head a little, smiling faintly. Yes, it was a dumb question, but he didn’t mean it in a ‘the grand scheme of things’ kind of way. He was aiming more towards ‘I know things suck but are you alright right _now_ ’ kind of way. “Okay, okay. Yeah, of course. Rest well.” He turned to leave the room.

**The demon was glad the kid was finally leaving him alone with his thoughts. Bill laid down in bed and closed his eyes. It was surprisingly easy to fall asleep, probably because of how tired he was in the first place.**   
**  
Bill woke up around 3 hours later, in the middle of the night, a cold sweat over his whole body. He couldn’t remember exactly what he had dreamed but it had been a nightmare. It definitely wasn’t as fun to experience them as he had thought. He also realized that he felt the urge to go to the bathroom, probably to relieve himself, so without wasting another second he did just that.**

Dipper bounced down the stairs, leaving William alone in his room for some much-needed rest. He had stuff to do, like finishing closing up the store before Stan flipped out.

He was crossing the hall to grab a hoodie and his journal from his room when he ran into William. He just couldn't get to sleep, and a walk would, hopefully, tire him out and still his mind enough for him to actually get some rest. "Oh, hey, Will," he said with a tired smile, stopping in the hall.

**Bill froze for a brief second when he ran into the other man like he had been caught sneaking around, but immediately he relaxed since that wasn’t really how intention at the moment “I was looking for the bathroom, forgot to go early and it seems my body in against me now.” Yup, that was the best way to describe how he was feeling.**

Dipper nodded, resting a hand on the door knob. "I was just going to get a jacket. Can't sleep, so I thought I'd take a walk," he explained, flashing a crooked grin before he pushed the door open. Grabbing his jacket and journal, he moved to slip past Will and leave the room. "Have a good night."

**“I’ll try.” Bill sighed and continued on his way to the bathroom. Once he had finally relieved himself and felt a little better, the former demon took a proper look at himself in the mirror. At leas his meatsack didn’t look all that bad, if you ignored the bags under his eyes formed by his lack of sleep. He had blond slightly wavy hair with dark roots, making it look a little like he had dyed it. His visible eye was dark brown and his other eye... Bill locked the door just in case and then finally removed his eyepatch to take a look. Part of him was happy to see his eye, his 'All Seeing Eye', but another part of him was definitely pissed. It was a cruel joke. So he had to keep this one thing that could make anyone find out who he was, while he was in a fragile meatsack that could be easily killed,** **_and_ ** **he couldn't even enjoy the perks of having it? It didn't work anymore! Of course it didn't, he was powerless.**   
****

**In a fit of rage, the former demon punched the mirror, breaking it and successfully injuring himself. He cursed under his breath -pain wasn’t as hilarious as he remembered- and prayed that Pine Tree had gone out already and hadn’t heard a thing. Bill looked for the first aid kit, bandaged his hand precariously and put on the eyepatch again before exiting the bathroom. He can deal with the broken mirror in the morning.**   
****

**Bill went back to the attic and laid down in bed once again, but this time it was a little harder to fall asleep and he ended up watching the ceiling for about an hour before he finally managed.**

Dipper paused in the doorway, frowning slightly. He thought he heard something break, but the sound was over too quickly for him to identify it. Shrugging it off, he slid his jacket on and headed out into the woods. It wasn't hard for him to find the familiar paths; he'd spent every summer for the last ten years walking them, finding his own and delving deeper into the secrets that were hidden within its trees. At this point, he didn't even have to look where he was going, trusting that he would be able to find his way back without much struggle.

It was hours later before he returned, rubbing his eyes and yawning softly. His fingers were stained with ink from taking notes in the dark, but he was finally tired enough to actually sleep. Dropping onto the couch, he tucked the general under his pillow and dozed off.

* * *

 

**The next morning Bill woke up fairly early. He was starving or at least assumed he was, since it made sense. The demon took a moment to fully wake up, just sitting on the bed for a few minutes, then he finally headed downstairs to the kitchen. He had no idea how to cook anything so he just opened the fridge and poured himself a glass of cold milk. He sat at the kitchen table and took a sip which made him gag. It definitely wasn’t what he was expecting, but e was hungry so he tried to ignore the taste.**

Dipper wandered into the kitchen while Bill was still working on his milk, yawning softly and running his fingers through his hair. "Morning, Will," he mumbled, filling a glass with water. It was silent for a few minutes while he downed it before he turned to face the other male. "Hungry? I'm gonna make pancakes."

**“Yes, please,” Bill told the other, giving him a pleading look. It was genuine and he tried to slightly less desperate when he realized he probably looked pathetic. The former demon finished the milk and stood up to serve himself a glass of water to wash down the taste.**

Dipper chuckled a little. Will looked desperate and nearly starving, and it wasn't like he could actually say no. "Alright then. Pancakes it is," he hummed, pulling out a pan and ingredients and starting to mix them together. "Do you like chocolate chips?"

**“I... Yes...” of course he had no idea what it tasted like but humans usually loved chocolate so he didn’t think he could go wrong with that. The former demon took a long sip of water and returned to sit at the table, letting Pine Tree take care of anything since he had no way of helping him -not that he would if he could-.**

“Chocolate chip pancakes it is,” he hummed happily, dumping an entire bag of chocolate chips into the batter and continuing to mix. He only paused long enough to push his sleeves up, keeping them batter-free. It wasn’t long before he was dolloping batter on to the skillet.

**Bill didn’t say another for a long moment as he watched Dipper work on the pancakes. He thought about his next step and remembered the sign he had seen yesterday. He cleared his throat. “So, kid, are you the one in change here? I saw you guys were hiring...”**

Dipper hummed a little as he flipped the pancakes, starting to make up a plate for William. Setting it in front of him, he added a fork and handed over the butter and syrup. “Technically my uncle is in charge. But he’s in the process of handing it over to me, so if you’re asking, I can give you an application.”

**Bill smiled and nodded. He grabbed the syrup and poured some over his pancakes. It smelled sweet so he assumed it would be good. “Yes, that way I could give you something for what you’ve done to me and I don’t think I’ll be able to get a job somewhere else...” He had no id, no money, no way to prove who he was... But Dipper trusted him enough.**

“It’s not like anyone else is applying for the job,” Dipper said, making a large stack for Stan and Mabel to split before sitting down with his own and smothering them in syrup. “And it’s not hard, so you don’t really need experience.”

**“Great, ‘cause I don’t really have any...” Bill offered Dipper an awkward smile and then shoved a forkful of pancakes into his mouth. They were really** **_good_ ** **, a hundred times better than the milk, he moaned a little at the taste and closed his eyes. When he opened them he saw Dipper sitting in front of him and for the first time he noticed the tattoos around his arm. He raised an eyebrow. Why would the kid get a tattoo of his wheel? “What’s that?” He asked once he had swallowed. “What does it mean?”**

“I didn’t when I started either. Then again, I was 12, so...” he laughed a little, starting to dig in to his pancakes with a happy sigh. From the moan, it was clear Will liked them too, so that was good. Glancing up at him before looking at his tattoos, he swallowed and shrugged a little. “It’s about... dream demons and demonology,” he started. “I have it as a reminder of things that can go wrong and now to stop them.”

**"Had a fight with your inner demons, huh? I know a lot about those." Bill huffed a laugh and returned his attention to his pancakes. He still didn't get it though, it wasn't like they had defeated him thanks to the wheel in the end, that had gone wrong thanks to Stan, so it made no sense, but whatever. Bill relished in the fact that his enemy kept a reminder of him, that he had truly marked the kid's life so much, it was an accomplishment, it made him feel proud of himself.**

“Yeah, that’s one way to put it,” he lied easily, continuing to work his way through his pancakes. The chocolate had melted perfectly by this point. The tattoos were a constant reminder not to trust too easily, to always look at a problem from every angle. To make sure he knew exactly what he was getting into before committing. “So. Once you’re done I’ll get you an application. Stan will probably want to interview you too.”

**"Sounds good." Bill wasn't afraid of dealing with Stan, the only member of the Pines family that worried him a little was Ford since he was the only one that Bill thought had a slight chance at recognizing him. Stan, on the other hand, shouldn't even remember who he was after taking the hit of that memory gun. Bill focused on his food once again and after a few minutes he was done. He felt a lot better now, it seemed like he had finally satisfied all of the needs of his meatsack.**

Dipper finished up his pancakes with a happy hum, taking the plates and moving to the sink to wash the syrup off. Once done, he stretched with a groan. “Alright. I’m going to get ready for the day. Do you want any clothes? Mine should fit you.”

**Bill wanted to refuse. The clothes he was wearing where bad enough, he didn't want to wear the Pine Tree's clothes, he felt like it would be a new low for him, but... He felt dirty and he knew that if he took a shower he wouldn't want to get back into the clothes the Axolotl had granted him, even less so if they were dirty. "Do I get to pick?" He asked and stood up as well, raising an eyebrow. Maybe he could find** **_something_ ** **decent in the other's closet.**

Dipper couldn’t help but laugh, putting the dishes aside to dry. “Sure, you can pick,” he said lightly. “Come on.” He turned to head back up to the attic, passing Mabel on the way down with a quick greeting. Reaching his closet, he opened the door and stepped back.

**Bill waved Mabel as well and the girl just bit her lip and glanced between him and Dipper with a mischievous look before continuing to walk downstairs. She clearly had wanted to make a comment but hadn't thought it would be the right time. The former demon decided to ignore her and followed the other back to the twin's room. Once Dipper opened the closet, Bill searched until he found a yellow shirt and a pair of black jeans. It wasn't exactly what he would have liked but it was better than what he was wearing.**

Dipper shook his head a little. “Don’t mind Mabel,” he added, sitting on his bed as he waited for Will to pick out his clothes. “She sees romance everywhere.” Waiting for him to pick, he stood and pulled out jeans and a blue t-shirt. “Do you want to shower first?”

**Bill huffed a laugh and shook his head at the mention of romance. It was hilarious to think of himself and Pine Tree close together in any way that didn't include some kind of torture. "Yes, if you don't mind," Bill said and then he turned away from the human and headed to the bathroom to do just that.**

“Wouldn’t have offered if I did,” he pointed out with a grin, waiting for him to leave the room before his smile fell. Something wasn’t right here, things didn’t quite add up with Will. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but that feeling had saved his skin too many times for him to ignore it. Opening his journal to a blank page, he made a note.

**Bill spent longer than he intended in the shower because the feeling of water hitting his back simply felt a lot more pleasurable than he had expected it to be. Taking showers was something that Bill had always thought to be another annoying and boring thing that humans had to waste their time with, but it was actually nice and the former demon allowed himself to take his time and enjoy it. When he was finally done and changed he looked a lot better than he had looked the other day and his mood was considerably better. He walked out of the bathroom whistling and old song he liked.**

Dipper continued to write until he heard the shower shut off, every possible connection and link and idea carefully recorded in his own code. Standing and setting the book down, he smiled at Will as they passed each other. “I won’t be long,” he tossed over his shoulder, heading into the bathroom.   
It was barely twenty minutes later that he was finished, leaving to grab his things from his side of the room before heading to the store.

**Bill thought about taking a look around to see if he could find anything useful to him while he waited for Dipper to be ready, but in the end, he decided against it since it was too risky. He had to remember that Mabel and Stan were in the Shack as well -and maybe even Ford too, he had no way of knowing with no powers- and maybe Dipper wouldn't take as long as he did. So instead the former demon headed back to the store and waited for Pine Tree there. It was way too soon to take risks.**

Dipper soon came down, hair still slightly damp and nearly touching his shoulders as he adjusted his shirt and set his bag behind the counter. “Here you are, Will. One application,” he hummed, passing it and a pen over to the other male before starting to set up shop; making sure displays and attractions were in place, the register was set, and everything was clean. Only then did he flip the closed sign to open and unlocked the door.

**Bill filled out the application with fake information that wouldn't be too hard to remember in the future and handed it to Dipper. "I I get the job I'll be working with you and your great uncle or just with you? Or with you and your sister?" It was enough that he was planning to get to live in the Mystery Shack, around the Pines all the time, he hoped he wouldn't have to be working everyday with all of them. Or at least not with Mabel, he didn't think he would be able to handle her.**

Dipper leaned against the counter, reading the application over and making mental notes and what he might need to check out later. “Mainly me. Stan comes in pretty regularly to make sure I’m doing my job right, but he’s basically handed the place over. Mabel only works if I really need her to fill in. She’s got her own thing going on now. So if you get the job, I shouldn’t need her around so often.” He smiled a little, lightly tapping a pen against the paper as he read. It wasn’t bad, really. Just basic and simple. It cemented the thought that something g might be a little off with William.

**"Great, I'm not much of a people person, not when I see them too often and they expect me to remember stuff about them, make conversation..." Bill laughed nervously and looked away. That was a lie, but the less people he had to interact with the better if those people would be seeing him often. Random tourists where one thing, but the citizens of Gravity Falls? No, better to avoid that for now. "Anyway, do you need me to help you with something? I know I don't have the job yet but maybe you could show me the basics?"**

“That shouldn’t be too much of a problem. It doesn’t bother me, Mabel will carry the conversation if you two do talk, and Stan does t really care.” Dipper laughed a little, setting the sheet down on the counter and looking around. Show him the basics, huh? He could do that. “So the main thing about this job is you need to be able to spin a believable, but still far-fetched, story. You become a little like a showman.”

**Bill grinned. "I can definitely do that." Bill looked around the place and finally spotted something he could work with a pretty fake replica of a multibear. It seemed like Stan had finally craved and decided to use real stories from the forest instead of making up new ones... It still looked really fake though. "Behold, ladies and gentlemen." Bill started, turning to face Dipper as he pointed at the fake creature. "The..." He thought for a moment about a name, he couldn't call it multibear. "Many-faced-bear!" Perfect, just the kind of thing that would sell in the Mystery Shack. "I killed this beast with my own two hands when I was only 12 years old. I even lost an eye in the fight!"**

Dipper laughed a little, looking over the multibear statue as he listened to Will talk. “How’d you kill it?” He asked, pretending to eagerly want to know. This could work, Will had a flair for showmanship.

**Bill grinned and closed his hand in a fist, pretending to be holding a blade on it. “I went into the creature’s cave with the intention of killing it while it slept, but it was waiting for me, so we fought in that cramped space for what seemed like hours until I finally managed to stab its left foot, his weakness, that killed him in just seconds.” When Bill finished the story he bowed dramatically. “Thank you, Thank you, I know I’m amazing, I’ll be here all summer.”**

Dipper chuckled softly, nodding. “That was really good, Will. If Stan likes the interview, you might have a job. You’ll probably have a couple days where we watch to make sure it’s a fit, but I like what I see.”

**The former demon smirked. "I had the feeling you would." Bill winked at Dipper and walked past him, pretending to explore the rest of the shop. He was familiar with almost everything there was in it, it hadn't changed much in the last ten years, there were just a couple new attractions, like the multibear.**

Dipper chuckled a little, deciding that maybe Will was just a bit of a flirt, liked to toss winks and phrases that could be taken a couple different ways around. Nothing wrong with that, he would just ignore most of them while he continued to take in what information he could about the mysterious man.

**After a couple of minutes Bill got bored of inspecting the stupid merchandise they sold at te Mystery Shack. He turned to face Dipper again. “Tell me, kid, you’re taking over this place, right? I’d This what you always wanted to do with your life?” Bill was hoping to get some more information out of Dipper, maybe get him to reveal if Ford was still around... There was no way Pine Tree would be hoping to become the next Stanley Pines.**

Dipper was writing in his notebook, the store pretty much set up as he waited for customers or Stan to show up and deal with Will. "This isn't where I thought I'd end up, no," he hummed, shrugging a little as he lightly sketched out along the edge of the page. "But it's good work, and interesting, and Stan can't run it forever. So I don't mind taking it over."

**“Interesting? What does this place have that’s interesting?” Bill rested his elbows on the counter and tried to check what Dipper was writing, of course, trying to be discreet about it. “I’ll grant to you that the forest is creepy, I felt like I was being watched all the time I spent there...” Perfect way to get Dipper to talk, he just needed to come up as paranoid as the other was, show him they had things in common. “But everything here is fake.” He leaned closer and murmured That last part in case a customer walked in right then.**

Dipper easily slid his notebook back, out of Will's eyesight. The movement was cool and casual, covered up with a couple sketched lines along the near top of the page. "I like the showmanship," he lied easily, smiling a little. "And the way child's eyes light up when you tell the perfect story, complete with the perfect prop to continue the story at home. And the woods are really cool, I walk through them all the time. Besides, I don't want it to close when Stan retires."

**Bill huffed a laugh and nodded. Sure, that was the reason... At least 10 years ago it was mostly the stupid adults those who fell for Stan’s nonsense, the kids were usually way less gullible. “Honorable cause.” He said, pretending he believed the other. While Dipper had become a better liar, Bill still wouldn’t fall for it.**

Dipper grinned a little, shutting the journal and leaning on it slightly. “What about you?” He countered lightly, fishing for more information to fill in the blanks about this man. “Your life has clearly taken some turns to put you here, what did you want to do with your life?”

**“I’m gonna be honest with you, not this.” Bill knew that it would be easier for Dipper to trust him if not everything he told him was a lie. “But then again, I’m not all that sure about what I wanted to do...” He looked away, frowning a little. Admitting that wasn’t easy, but it was the truth, he had wanted to conquer Pine Tree’s dimension, eventually reduce it to ashes, but... He had never thought about what he would truly achieve with that. For a while it would be fun, he’s be entertained, but in the end it would be boring once again. Now at least he had some time to come up with a better plan, something that would hopefully not bore him after a few centuries. He was trying to fill a void, he just didn’t know that. “I had big plans but they didn’t work out.”**

Dipper nodded a little as Will explained, a sympathetic smile gracing his lips after a few moments. “Yeah, that happens a lot,” he murmured, before shrugging a little. “But, hey. This is the perfect place to figure it out, get back on your feet. It’s quiet and out of the way and you can make as many plans and mistakes as you want without life-changing consequences.”

**Bill smiled a little and nodded. “Yes, I think I’m going to like this place...” The former demon had a whole story prepared in case Dipper ever asked him more, but since now he didn’t he wouldn’t do it, it wasn’t necessary and it would probably look suspicious.** ****  
**Stan walked into the shop and greeted both guys. “You the one that wants the job, huh? Think you got what it takes?”** ****  
**Bill grinned. “I can assure you I do.”** **  
** **“Follow me then.” Stan guided Bill to his office for the interview.**

“Good luck, Will,” Dipper hummed, smiling a little as he leaned against the counter. Once they were out of sight, though, he straightened, opening his journal again to add the information he’d just learned to his page on the other male. He wanted to trust him, he really did, but he’d spent too much time in Gravity Falls to take anything at face value. Especially not from someone that wandered out of the woods with nothing but the clothes on his back and no desire to return home. He wasn’t sure what he was dealing with... but Dipper didn’t think he was human.


	2. Stan's Wonderful Business Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Alga:** How do you feel about Stan buying a 'cursed' piano?  
>  **Void:** Dude I’m here for that!

**Bill’s interview with Stan went great as far as the demon could tell. He was sure the old man even _liked_** **** **him -probably because Bill had done everything he could to make the other feel like they could be related. He started working right away and Stan even offered him a room at the shack free of change -Well, actually he would be paying Bill way less than he did the rest, he was Stan after all.** ****  
**  
** **After a couple of days, Bill was pretty much a pro at the job, which only made Stan like him even more. So he had one of the Pines in his pocket, he only needed two more. Mabel was... he hadn’t tried talking too much with her since her behavior was a little annoying in his opinion, but he knew he would have to eventually. Dipper though? He had tried hard to gain his trust but he still felt like the other didn’t quite trust him yet. It was starting to become frustrating... Dipper was always keeping an eye on him which meant he couldn’t look around the shack for what he needed.**

Dipper liked having Will around. His ability on the job certainly made his life easier, and he was a big hit with both the kids and the parents with his stories and acting. Dipper was free to do things he wanted to, he had the time now.   
But he still didn’t trust him completely. Something just didn’t sit right with him, and maybe he was overthinking things... but better safe than sorry. So he kept an eye on him, learned what he could as he tried to figure it out.

**"Hey, Will, come out, I need your help with something," Stan told Bill, who was finishing counting the money the shack had made today, exhausted after another long day of work.**

**Bill yawned a little and nodded. He still hadn't changed his mind: being human sucked. When he wasn't tired he was hungry when he wasn't hungry he was thirsty when he wasn't thirsty he needed to go to the bathroom... It was endless torture! It... had its moments though, but the former demon would never admit it out loud.  "Sure, boss." Stan apparently loved to be called boss, so, while Bill hated it, he still did it, gave him extra points with the man.**

**Stan hesitated for a second and then added. "Dipper, you too, don't think just the two of us can handle this one."**

Dipper paused what he was doing, before nodding and setting the souvenirs he was arranging down. “Yeah, sure thing, Stan,” he said agreeably, smiling a little as he headed over, lightly brushing past Will. “Did you get something stupidly huge again?”

**"Maybe... But promise this one is worth it! I have the whole thing figured out so I can set it to play by itself." Stan walked out of the shack and Bill followed him. "The kids will love it!"**

**Bill's eyes widened when he saw the piano. Well,** **_he_** **definitely loved it, he hadn't had the chance to play in ages! Maybe now a human body would prove to be useful for something, he was sure he would be even better at playing the piano with 5 fingers. The initial excitement disappeared after two seconds though, when he realized just how heavy a piano was supposed to be. "Uh... Are you sure the 3 of us will be enough?"**

Dipper just stopped, staring at the piano. He was blinking slowly, glancing between the large instrument and Stans eager face, barely paying attention. Will had a point. “And, more importantly... where are we going to  _put_ it? It’s huge!”

**Stan made a dismissive gesture with his hand and walked towards the piano. "I'll make space, Come on, it only took 4 guys to take it down from the truck and I have the strength of two men, so we're good."**

**Bill gulped and shook his head, but he positioned himself next to one of the corners of the piano anyway since it didn't seem like there would be a way to talk Stan out of it. If he had had his powers this would have been so much easier…**

“More like the strength of half a man,” Dipper mumbled under his breath, but he shook his head and stepped up to his place anyway. There was no way they were getting this thing where it needed to be, but it wasn’t like he had much of a choice. “Alright... on three. One, two.. three.”

**The three of them pulled the piano up and, while it took quite a few tries, they managed to get it inside the house. It was mostly thanks to Bill’s help, though the demon had no idea he had contributed so much and he hurt all over when they were done. “Never again.” He mumbled and sat behind the counter once again. He still had to finish counting the money, though now he felt he truly deserved a nice long break.**

Dipper groaned a little when they were finally done, rubbing his back slightly as he went to get some painkillers, stop the muscle soreness before it got to bad. “Here, Will,” he offered, setting the bottle of pills and a glass of water on the counter. The other looked worse than Dipper felt... Maybe Dipper could get away with giving him a break.... or. “Once you’re done with the money you can be done for the day,” he hummed. “I’ll finish up the rest.”

**Bill raised an eyebrow. The whole week he had been working mostly alone, with Dipper only helping when there were too many customers for him to handle. The kid spent most of his time taking notes in that journal of his and more than once the demon had wanted to joke about it, ask him if he was compensating for the loss of the 3 first journals, but he hadn’t. What was different now? Did he really look** **_that_ ** **bad? Bill took the painkillers and thanked the other. “About time, don’t you think?”**

**Maybe if he could make Dipper feel guilty about it he would start having more breaks, breaks that wouldn’t involve a certain mortal keeping an eye on him all the time...**

“Stan’s idea, not mine,” he hummed in way of answer. “Or I would have been around a lot more. He’s a very... throw them in the deep side of the pool kind of person.” He picked up the bottle to put it away, smirking over his shoulder. Maybe we could trust Will. He hadn’t been, not completely, but nothing had happened over the last week... so maybe, they were in the clear.

**“Mmm... I’m gonna choose to believe you because I like you, kid.” Bill grinned and went back to counting the money, wanting to be done soon so that he could enjoy the rest of his day before he was too tired to stay awake. After a minute or two, the former demon stopped and looked up from the money at Dipper once again. “When is your uncle paying me by the way? I’d really like to stop using your clothes and get some of my own.” He chuckled. “No offense, it just isn’t my style.”**

“You should also believe me because telling the truth,” he laughed, going back to the general straightening up he was doing around the store. “Hmm... well, I get paid Friday, so I imagine he’ll pay you at the same time.”

**"Great." Bill finished counting the money and checking that everything was in order before going to give it to Stan. He wondered how much the man would be giving him, seeing as he was taking advantage of both the food in the Mystery Shack and a bed... Bill hoped it would be enough to at least get himself a change of clothes.**

**As he thought about what he would get himself, Bill went to sit at the piano. Someone had to test it out, right? Check if it would need tuning or well, the opposite, depending on what Stan would want -Bill really hoped he would prefer a tuned piano, even if they were planning to turn it into a 'haunted' one. The former demon gently ran his fingers through the piano keys and then started playing In Our Bedroom After the War. He didn't sing.**

Dipper instantly paused as the soft music drifted through the air and filled the small store, carried on a clearly talented touch. It was sweet and sad, and quiet, but oh so beautiful as he slowly turned to watch Will pluck at the keys. It took a few minutes before he could place the song, something he had heard in school once and had instantly fallen in love with. “... I didn’t know you could play,” he murmured, approaching slowly; unwilling to break the carefully woven spell.

**Bill glanced away from the keys, at Dipper, but he didn't stop playing and he didn't miss any note. Yeah, he still had it, power or not. "There's a lot about me that you don't know, kid." He said because he couldn't help himself, then he glanced back at the keys and finished the piece, smiling when he was done, "Amazingly, going by the state it is in..." The piano clearly hadn't been taken care of, it looked like it had been abandoned for a long long time. "It's still tuned. Huh... maybe it is haunted." He added and laughed, though he knew it was entirely possible.**

“Maybe you should let me learn more about you,” he pointed out lightly. He’d probably trust the other more easily if he didn’t always carefully hide behind his well-built story. And of course it was a story; for starters, his resume was completely fake. Not that Dipper cared that much, he already figured Will wasn’t normal, wasn’t human. But he wanted to know more. “It might be, for all we know.”

**"You really believe that?" Bill stood up and stretched a little. "I didn't take you for the kind of guy who would believe in ghosts." Bill glanced back at the piano and bit his lip. He couldn't tell how powerful the ghost haunting it could be, but he hoped it wouldn't cause them too much trouble... At least not until he could figure out a way to steal its power. Bill shook his head to clear his mind and glanced back at the other. "If you really want to get to know me then why don't you ask me out? I've heard that's the best way to go about getting to know someone." God if the other accepted he would have way too much fun, he was sure.**

“I’ve never met a ghost,” he said musingly. “But I believe that we don’t know everything. And that there’s bound to be something out there we don’t have the answers to,” he answered, before shrugging a little. It was just as likely that the piano was haunted, or had a demon attached, or some other thing as it was just trick and a story. Pausing at the comment, he chuckled faintly. “I would, but I’ve already got a date.”

**Bill's smile faltered for a brief second. Pine Tree's answer had taken him by surprise and it made him feel... weird. He wasn't sure what it was, but it wasn't a nice feeling. "Oh, well, shame then." He tried to dismiss it, it wasn't a big deal. "I'll have to keep my secrets to myself, right?" Bill took a few steps back and shrugged. "Anyway... You gave me a break so..." The former demon turned around and walked out of the shop, heading to the room Stan had assigned him.**

Dipper arched an eyebrow. “What, that’s lame. I should still be able to learn about you if I’m not taking you out on dates,” he argued lightly, not putting much effort into it before shrugging slightly. “Alright. Have fun.” He turned back to work.

**Bill locked himself in his room and laid down on the bed. “Damn you, Pine Tree. What have you done to me now?” The former demon rubbed his eyes and sighed, then just stared at the ceiling for a while. Being human was such an inconvenience... too many dumb emotions and sensations.**

Really, it wasn’t even that big of a deal. They’d gone on one other date and were still figuring out of this was a relationship they wanted to pursue. It was just as likely that they’d never see each other again as it was they’d keep going. But... Dipper felt bad. It almost seemed like Will had been... serious. That he actually _wanted_ to go on a date with him. Sighing a little, he shook his head and finished up closing down the store.

**Bill just laid down in bed with his thoughts for a while. He wasn’t sure when exactly he had begun thinking of Dipper as** **_his_ ** **, he supposed it must have been since that time he possessed him. It was different now though, it used to be all about control, power, Bill knew he could get a little obsessed with people sometimes if he found them interesting enough -it had happened with Ford too. Now though? Now there was also lust in the way. But it was only that, it was just physical and Bill knew he would be able to deal with it.**

**Bill left his room and went to take a cold shower to try and clear his head. Once he was done he headed to the kitchen and made himself a sandwich for dinner. He didn’t feel like sharing the table with the Pines that night.**

Dipper finished quickly, smiling a little. When he said he had a date, he honestly meant for that night. So as soon as he finished he was heading off to his room, digging to the back of his closet where his nice clothes were kept hidden. He still felt a little bad for shooting down Will like that, he had honestly thought the other was joking... Pausing part way through the buttons on the light blue shirt he was wearing, he shook his head a little. “I’ll just make it up to him later,” he murmured under his breath, finishing the buttons. Smoothing it down over the black slacks he’d donned, he nodded.

Racing down the stairs, he stopped in the kitchen long enough to grab his house keys and smile a little at Will. “See ya,” he said gently, before leaving with a call  of “I’ll be back by midnight!” Towards Stan.

**Bill was left staring at the kitchen for a second, sandwich in hand. So Pine Tree had his date that night? Oh... He could use this... Mabel was out at a friend's place, Ford apparently wouldn't be back for another week -he had learned he was out in another state, probably investigating something, somewhere where Stan had been banned- and Stan was a heavy sleeper so as soon as he fell asleep on his couch he could start poking around the shack, maybe even try to go to Ford's old lab. He would surely find something there.**

 


	3. Against Ghosts and Dreams

Dipper actually planned on coming back quite a bit sooner than midnight, much closer to ten, considering he was leaving at 7:30. But as much as it was a nice night for him to go out, get away from the chaos of the store and just enjoy a warm night with a nice guy, it was a test. A couple little cameras had been set up years ago, in Ford's old lab that was now basically Dipper’s, along with tiny traps and codes that would need to be broken to get in farther. And he needed to know that he could trust Will.

**Once Stan had fallen asleep, Bill headed to the vending machine and input the code, but it didn't work. He cursed under his breath and tried again, but nothing happened. They had clearly changed, which meant that whatever answers he needed, he wouldn't be able to get them from the lab. The former demon rubbed his eyes and headed back to where the piano was, trying to think of something else. He could break into Ford's room... But he didn't know how to pick a lock and he couldn't break it, it would make him lose the trust Dipper had on him. Bill glanced at the piano. Maybe if he provoked the ghost... A little mayhem could lead to the door being knocked down by 'accident'.**

It wasn't long before Dipper stopped worrying about what the still mostly a stranger would be up to in his home, laughing along with something the man across from him was saying instead. He could worry later, after all, and he'd get an alert if something tripped his cameras or his traps, so for once, he completely focused on the good things that were happening to him.

**Now, Bill only had to figure out how to wake up the entity attached to the piano... He hoped not to be wrong about that, he was going by instinct anyway, by the feeling of dread he had felt when he had sat down to play earlier that day. "Who are you?" He asked the piano and then played a short melody. He assumed if there was a ghost in it, then it had to be a musician, music of some kind would have to set him free, trigger him.**

For a few long moments, the instrument was silent. In fact, the entire room had gone completely silent, save the quiet sound of Bill's breathing. Finally, though, the piano played a few short notes itself, almost a continuation of the melody the demon had played. Urging him to keep going.

**Bill grinned. "Oh, it's on." He said and continued the melody where the ghost had left off. He needed it to manifest itself for real and it had to be powerful, he would be disappointed if this was all the spirit could do, it wouldn't have enough power for Bill to take if that was the case.**

Every few bars, the ghost would cut Bill off, play their own notes for a moment and direct the music where they wanted it to go. It wasn't long before the interruptions became more infrequent, unneeded. Somewhere just behind Bill, the glass case for a display shattered.

**Bill laughed a little and stood up. He took a few steps back. "Is that everything you've got? You don't scare me." Bill was surprised that Stan seemed to still be completely asleep in front of the TV in the next room. That guy really could sleep through anything...**

A cool wind was swirling through the room, ruffling paper and spreading the shattered glass across the floor with soft tinkling sounds. "Pretty weak, for a demon," a voice whispered, directly behind him.

**That did make Bill jump a little and turn around quickly, but he tried to stay calm. How did the ghost know who he was? He was supposed to be human right now, right? No power that the other could sense. He supposed that the ghost could have heard of him, but how had he recognized him? "How do you know what I am?" He demanded, trying to sound threatening.**

"A couple reasons," the voice continued, and something else, farther back in the house, cracked. "You may be all wrapped up and trapped in a human vessel, but that doesn't change what you are." They brushed past him, something, that could have been fingers, catching at his wrist for just a moment. But in the moment, the skin darkened, leaving bruises behind.

**Bill hissed in pain and reached for his wrist with his other hand. Maybe he had underestimated the situation... No, no, he would be fine, he had a plan. Ford had a small notebook he used to hide under his pillow, a book with spells he could use in case of emergency. Some he had learned from Bill and some he had found on his own. If Bill had been paying more attention to that kind of stuff back then he would have what he needed already but he had been so focused on making the man built the portal... It was okay though, he just needed to get into the man's room. Bill ran towards it, expecting the ghost to follow.**

He was correct in that assumption, the invisible entity following along and leaving broken glass and cracked wood in its wake. The longer it was out, the stronger it got, rather eager to do some actual damage now that it was free from the piano. And it wanted to start with the weakened demon trapped against the door, jerking forward to grab at him.

 **Bill moved out of the way just when the ghost was about to get close enough to get him and then ran back to the shop without looking back. He needed to get him away from the room before he could go inside. He noticed Stan was still sleeping and for a second he found himself** **_worrying_ ** **about the human, but shook his head and focused back on his plan. There was no place for stupid human emotions now.**

Well... now the room was open, and the ghost clearly didn't care as it casually drifted back towards Bill. And that was when Dipper unlocked the door and stepped inside. Directly into carnage. "Wh- Will?! Are you okay?!" He was moving forward instantly, glancing around.

"Oh?" The ghost whispered, stopping in its tracks. "A human, too? Maybe I'll start with him." And it had turned already, drifting towards Dipper.

**Bill had made his way back to Ford's room by the time Dipper walked into the house. He heard the ghost's words and cursed under his breath. Pine Tree couldn't die now, Bill still needed him, the ghost's energy would only get him so far. Frantically, he searched the room for the small notebook but found nothing. Ford had probably taken it with him. Time to change his plan. He needed a silver mirror and luckily he knew old Fordsy had one as well. "Try to distract it for a moment, kid!" Bill yelled at Dipper as he searched for the mirror.**

Dipper nodded a little, moving backward slowly. "Yeah, sure," he mumbled a little, ducking into the shop part of the house. "Come on, you know I'm an easier kill than him!" He called, grinning teasingly as he slammed his hand down on the piano keys.

The ghost launched forward and grabbed Dipper's leg. If there was something he hated more than anything was when people mistreated his beloved piano.

**Bill finally found the mirror and ran back to the shop, having heard the piano and assuming the fight was in there. As he reached the room he stopped, almost paralyzed, mirror in hand. He didn't want to let the ghost's energy go to waste if he could only remember the words of the spell, he was sure he had read it at least once, spying over Ford's shoulder... Dipper's cries of pain were making it harder for him to concentrate, but he closed his eyes and tried to reach into his memories. "Yes, that's it." He murmured to himself and walked closer to the ghost and the human. "Hey, sucker." Bill pushed his free hand into the spirit's 'body' and murmured the words of the spell under his breath. He felt as the being's energy flowed into him and behind his eyepatch his eye glowed blue for a brief second before he pulled his hand away -he could have taken it all, but he still needed the ghost to exist if he wanted to get it inside the mirror so that Dipper wouldn't question what had happened. "Shouldn't you be picking on someone your own size?" The demon teased him, wanting to get him to turn around.**

Dipper grit his teeth tightly, trying to shake the ghost off as he continued to hit keys at random to keep his attention off of whatever it was that Will was doing. It was getting harder, though, bruises and scratches were crawling up his leg as blood dripped down, pooling under his shoe... and he couldn't stop the sounds of pain forever, choking on them and trying to keep them from getting too loud- something he was failing at by the time the other actually made an appearance with the mirror.  
The ghost turned back to Bill, growling slightly as he lunged forward.

**Bill held up the mirror in front of the ghost and the moment it saw its reflection it got trapped inside it. Bill let out a rather maniacal laugh and winked at the ghost. Not only he had done it but also he had a bit of power now. Sure, it wasn't much, he would have to use it sparingly if he wanted it to last, but it was something for now. A whimper of pain made the former demon turn his attention back to Dipper and he gulped. The other was in a rather bad state. Bill left the mirror on top of the piano and went to Dipper's aid. "Hey, are you still with me?"**

Dipper had dropped to the ground, leaning back against the piano with a soft whimper. Tears were glistening on his cheeks, and he was desperately trying not to let any more fall from tightly closed eyes. “Yeah,” he whispered, his voice choked with pain. “I... I’m okay.” Slowly, swallowing down the next whine, he sat up to pull up his pant leg, the black material sticky with blood that hadn’t stopped leaking yet. “Ah, hell,” he whispered.

**"I told you to distract him, not let him use you as a plaything." Bill knelt in front of the other and inspected his leg. He could cure him, in fact, part of him wanted to... But no, getting that little bit of power was hard enough, he wasn't going to waste it on Pine Tree. "I'll get the first aid kit." Bill stood up again and headed to the bathroom. A moment later he was back with the kit. He knew the basics for this, had seen it done before.**

Dipper offered a weak smile, eyes glassy with pain and unshed tears. “Better me than you,” he said simply, slumping back against the piano again as Will went to get the kit. Okay. He could do this, it was fine. Nodding a little as the other came back, he bit his lower lip and held carefully still while he worked. Still, except for his hands, shaking slightly in balled up fists. He didn’t speak until there were bandages over the gashes through his leg. “Thank you... for saving me..”

**As Bill worked on the other he was tempted again and again to at least make him pain go away, but he resisted. He couldn't give in to the human emotions that kept confusing him. "Don't thank me, it was the least I could do," Bill said as he put everything back in the box and closed it. The former demon rubbed his eye and sighed. In the end, it had been his fault that the ghost had gotten out, but hey, he had fixed it and it was probably going to get out at some point anyway. "How was your date?"**

“The least you could have done was run away,” Dipper corrected, letting out a shaky breath and pulling his leg up to his chest weakly, wrapping an arm around it. “So... thank you. It means a lot that you risked your life to save mine.” It meant that he could trust him. That he didn’t have to worry nearly as much, that Will might be curious but his heart was in the right place. “It was good. Not sure if there’ll be a third date, but I had a good time.”

**Bill huffed and nodded. "Yes, I guess I could have run away." Except he still needed to be here. It felt... weird to lie to Dipper like he didn't truly want to. "Well, I'm you'll get another date, you're awfully persistent after all." Bill stood up and offered his hand to Dipper to help him up as well.**

Dipper shrugged a little, reaching up to take his hand and stand slowly. He stumbled slightly, leaning into Will's shoulder. "Sorry," he mumbled a little. "Yeah, maybe... he just doesn't seem that into it, so..."

**"His loss then." Bill smiled and wrapped an arm around the Pines' body so that he could help him stay up. "If he ever has to face a ghost he won't have your expertise as backup." Bill helped Dipper go up to his room, letting the other rest his weight on him. He only let go of the other once he sat him on his bed.**

Dipper chuckled softly, wrapping his arm around Bill's shoulders to happily take his support and limp his way up the stairs and into his room. "That's fair. But I didn't really think we'd get farther than a couple weeks worth of dates anyway." Sinking into the bed, he groaned softly. "Thanks, Will..."

**"Really, don't thank me, kid." Bill sat down by the edge of the bed and sighed, looking out of the window. He was sure that if he wanted, he should be able to see through that eye now, he was tempted to try... But again, it would be a waste of energy for nothing. "You'll be okay, right?" He asked Dipper, glancing over his shoulder at him.**

"Yeah, well, I'm going to anyway," Dipper said softly, smiling at him when their eyes finally met. "Yeah... I should be fine. Surprisingly, I've had a lot worse. You just... never really get used to it." He slid back on the bed, wincing a little as he settled against the wall.

**"Worse than that?" Bill raised an eyebrow. "Well, you just got a lot more interesting." The former demon stood up and stretched a little, letting out a yawn. "We'll continue this conversation in the morning, yes?" He felt like he had finally done it, he had Pine Tree's trust, now he only needed to use it to his advantage, maybe he wouldn't have to break into Frodsy's lab after all.**

"Yeah, a lot worse," he nodded a little, smiling faintly as he slid down. It was clear he was tired, practically falling asleep as they talked. "Sure... That sounds good," he whispered, yawning softly as he dragged his blanket up over his shoulder. Dipper was asleep before Will had even left the room.

**Bill returned to his room. As he laid down on the bed he thought about the mess they had left in the shop. Stan was sure going to give them hell for that in the morning but right now Bill couldn't care less. The demon made blue fire appear in his hand and grinned. Things were finally getting better for him. The former demon closed his eyes and fell asleep, unaware that he was using part of the energy he had stolen to get inside Dipper's dream.**

* * *

 

**_Bill found himself in Pine Tree's room again, standing next to the other's bed._ **

For once, Dipper's dreams were calm and quiet, losing the usual monstrous edge that kept him awake far longer then he needed to be. It was... nice.

_Dipper was sitting in his bed, smiling just a little as he flipped through his notebook. After a moment, he looked up, smile widening slowly. "Hey, Will," he said quietly._

**_Bill smiled back at Dipper and took the notebook from him. He closed it and placed it on the bedside table. "You always have your nose buried in that thing, Pines, what's so interesting about it?" He asked and moved closer to the other, getting into his personal space._ **

_Dipper chuckled a little, giving it over without much of a fight and sitting up a little straighter. "Just my notes. Things I see and want to learn more about," he answered, having no problem with just how close the other was. "Care to sit with me?"_

**_"Didn't I say it, awfully persistent, still trying to find all the secrets of this town..." Bill climbed to the bed, straddling Dipper's lap. "Why? Why is it so important to you?" The former demon gently pushed Dipper to make him lay down on the bed._ **

_"I'm not going to stop until I know all the secrets," he grinned a little, settling his hands on Will's hips gently and laying back easily. "I want to be prepared for whatever might happen next. And I need to know."_

**_"All the secrets of this town? Or you want to go beyond this place?" One of Bill's hands sneaked under Dipper's shirt. He had never felt this way before and a little part of his brain kept telling him to stand down, but it was so little... He successfully ignored it. He was having a lot of fun, he didn't want it to stop._ **

_"I'll start with this town... And if I learn everything, I'll branch out to another town. But between you and me, I think I could stay here forever and still not learn all there is to know." He shivered a little, sighing softly before slowly bringing one hand off Will's hip to slide up his back slowly, curling his fingers through his hair._

**_"I think I'm tired of talking already." Bill snapped his fingers and made their clothes disappear. He had all of his power back since it was a dream, but also, since it was a dream, he couldn't remember ever losing it, at the moment this was Bill's and Dipper's reality, this was their normal._ **

_Dipper grinned, and in a moment he had Will pinned under him.. "You know? So am I." With that, he leaned down at caught Will in a kiss._

**_Bill was taken by surprise when the positions changed, but that was okay, he would let the kid have fun for a while. He kissed him back, giving him everything he had as one of his hands slid down the human's back and went to tease his hole a little._ **

_Dipper gasped softly, breaking the kiss with a wicked smirk to instead sink his teeth into Will's neck._

**_Bill moaned and then huffed a laugh. "Now we're talking, Pine Tree." He said and slipped two fingers into the other man._ **

_Dipper worked the skin between his teeth for a few minutes, leaving a dark bruise behind. Sitting back slowly, he pushed back against Will's fingers, taking them deeper with a groan._

**_Bill worked Dipper open with expertise, making sure to rub against the other's sweet spot from time to time. The demon was quite enjoying himself, much like he used to enjoy torturing others, but at the same time, this pleasure was a bit different. He loved it. Bill pulled Pine Tree into another bruising kiss and-_ **

_Dipper continued to moan as he squirmed on Will's fingers, loving every moment, every touch, each shock of pleasure that stole his breath away and forced noises from his throat. And just as they were about to kiss-_


	4. Shopping Time!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill and Dipper deal with the aftermath of the fight with the spirit and Bill finally gets some clothes of his own.

**Bill woke with a start. He was back in his room, feeling sweaty and rather uncomfortable, tense. Had everything been a dream? But... it had felt so real... Way more real than his usual dreams. The demon pushed the blankets out of the way and found himself face to face with his little problem downstairs, probably the reason why he felt uncomfortable. He rubbed his eyes and laid back down, looking up at the ceiling. Human bodies were a pain.**

Dipper jerked awake with a gasp, breathing hard. Wow... that had felt so real, he could almost still feel fingers on his skin as he shifted uncomfortably in his bed. He didn't know he felt that intensely about Will... even if a couple things about the dream were making him a little tense. Pine Tree echoed through his mind, but he shook it free and fell back, curling up tightly. That was too much.

**Bill tried to wait for his erection to go away, but his mind kept coming back to the dream, to how real it had felt, how nice... In the end, he gave in and took care of it himself. He supposed that giving in to one of the only things that made him feel pleasure in this vessel wouldn't be so bad. As he jacked off he thought about Dipper. So many times he had thought about breaking the kid and he had never imagined sex could also be a way to do it... He told himself that was the only reason why he felt drawn to him in that way and once he was done, and had cleaned up, the demon pushed the thoughts out of his mind.**

Dipper closed his eyes tightly, biting his lip and digging his thumb into the bandages around his leg to force his thoughts away from his erection, and soon enough it went away. No. He was good at pushing thoughts and feelings away, burying them, and he wasn’t going to deal with this right now. Slowly, he sat up, running his fingers through his hair and climbing out of the bed weakly. He needed a shower, he was sweaty and gross and there was dried blood everywhere.

**Since it was pretty early and Bill knew there would be no one up in the shack at that time, he decided to head to the kitchen in his underwear to get himself some coffee. He didn't want to go back to bed now, afraid he would have another dream with Pine Tree in it, once was enough for one day.**

Dipper grabbed the first aid kit and set it up on the counter before getting in the shower, scrubbing until he was clean and no longer felt Will’s fingers in him, held his head under water until he couldn’t hear the nickname Pine Tree anymore. That was something he didn’t even want to  _ try _ to look into.

**Bill heard the water running, so he left his mug and headed back to his room to put on some clothes, then returned to the kitchen and prepared coffee for Dipper as well. He assumed it was him the one that was awake since he didn't think Mabel had returned in the middle of the night and Stan was definitely not waking up that early.**

Dipper went with shorts that day, so the bandages wouldn’t get caught on the cloth irate him more than necessary, grabbing a T-shirt before heading down the stairs. “Oh. Hey, Will.” He smiled weakly.

**"Hey." Bill looked up at Dipper but immediately looked away, feeling his cheeks turn a little red. Yet another human reaction he didn't like. "I assumed you were up, so I made you coffee. Couldn't sleep?"**

Dipper nodded. “Weird dreams,” he mumbled, reaching around Will to grab his cup of coffee. His dream would not change their relationship. “Thank you.” He turned to sit down, limping along at a slow pace.

**"Good to hear it wasn't just me. Facing that ghost probably affected up more than we thought." It wasn't that for him, of course, he could have welcomed a nightmare, but the dream he had? He still wasn't all that sure what to make of it.**

“Yeah, probably. We still have to clean up the store again. Hopefully before Stan wakes up.” He was trying to keep his mind off the dream that had almost come out of nowhere; just this once, he didn’t  _ want _ to know what it meant.

**Bill nodded. Better to take care of that fast... “Just give me a minute, wanna finish my coffee first.” The former demon drank what was left in his mug, cleaned it up and then stretched a little, making his joints crack. “So! Clean up time.”**

Dipper nodded, working on his as well. “Yep. Clean up time.” Standing slowly, he limped his way into the store, sighing a little.

**Bill noticed the other was still limping and shook his head. “Actually... you’ll only be a nuisance. Why don’t you let me do the job and sit down to take some rest?” Human bodies really healed extremely slow, he was glad he had gotten away with just bruises.**

Dipper paused, leaning against the counter slightly. “Uh... sure. Yeah, I’ll just... get stuff back here ready,” he said quietly, moving behind the counter and sitting down heavily. There was silence. “Stan’s gonna pay us tonight. Wanna hit the mall, find you some new clothes?”

**Bill glanced over his shoulder at Dipper and grinned. "Yes, that would be great. I'd go on my own but..." But he would rather spend more time with Pine Tree, get him to talk a bit more about himself... Talking would be the only way to get him to reveal his secrets, after all, Bill didn't think the energy he had taken from the ghost would be enough to poke around Dipper's mind.**

Dipper nodded understandingly, returning the smile ad he started getting the register ready. The dream meant nothing, he and Will were just friends. Friends spent time together. “Alright. Maybe we’ll even be able to leave early. Mabel owes me a couple shifts.”

**"I bet, you really let her get away with anything, don't you?" Since Bill had started working at the Mystery Shack he had seen Mabel work a shift twice, maybe three times, he couldn't remember. It wasn't surprising for Bill, considering how she used to be when she was twelve. "She has a big social life?"**

“She doesn’t really work here,” Dipper explained, writing down some things he’d need to do to completely put the shop back in order. Like calling someone to deal with the cracked window. “She does, and she works in the mall. I just have her cover when I really need it.” He smiled fondly.

**"Oh. Now it makes sense. But then why does she owe you shifts?" Bill asked as he finished sweeping the broken glass from the floor. The place looked a lot better now that he was done cleaning up a little, of course, they were things they couldn't take care of now, like the broken window. He could change the light bulbs though. "Where do you keep the spare light bulbs?"**

“She promised she’d take one or two a month so that I didn’t spend my entire life behind this counter.” He chuckled a little. “And she definitely isn’t.” He looked around, smiling a little. “In the closet.”

**Bill gave a thoughtful nod and went to get the lightbulbs. He replaced the old broken ones with the new ones without saying another word, just thinking. He wondered if he would be able to get something of his liking in the mall. He actually had a pretty good idea of the attire he would like to get, but he had the feeling something like what he had in mind would make Dipper suspicious again and he would be back to square one.**

Dipper smiled a little, grabbing his phone to make a couple calls. “Hello? It’s Di- Yeah... Yeah, another one. What can I say, kids get rowdy and tourists are nuts... Just one, actually. And we’ll need more cases again... I’ll send Soos over with the sizes... Thanks.”

**Bill finished changing the lightbulbs and turned the lights on. He was a little proud of himself, he had managed to fix the lights in 'the human way'.  He walked to the counter and leaned against it, waiting for Dipper to finish his call. "This kind of mess happens often around here? Is it really because of the kids and tourists?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Of course, he already knew the answer was no.**

Dipper shook his head a little, setting his phone down. "Yeah... Once in a while, it's because of a bored teen or something, but usually, if it happens... It's because of something like that ghost last night." It wasn't like he could keep it a secret, after all; Will had been attacked last night.

**Bill's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, so that's something that happens on a regular basis? Do I get compensation if a ghost or something breaks my leg?" A normal human wouldn't want to work at a place like the Mystery Shack, right? But... he was supposed to be desperate enough, nobody else would hire him.**

Dipper shrugged a  little. "It doesn't happen often anymore. And it usually isn't that serious. We don't get hurt very often. But if it's serious Stan will probably pay your hospital bill."

**The former demon let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "If that's the case then I don't mind an adventure every once in a while." Of course, he didn't, he welcomed anything that would make his existence in the flashbag a little bit more exciting. Yesterday, while he probably could have died if Dipper hadn't shown up, had been amazing and he was looking forward to repeating that kind of experience. That was the closest he could get to the life he used to have. "How's your leg by the way?"**

He chuckled. ”Good. That’s exactly what you’ll get here.” That was good, he liked having Will around and was glad the ghost hadn’t scared him off. They were sure to have more adventures, after all. “Oh, it still hurts a lot. But the bleeding stopped at some point.”

**“Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?” Why did he keep worrying about Pine Tree? It was starting to annoying. Bill sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I wish I could have done more... do you want me to get you painkillers?**

“If it gets worse I will,” he assured gently, smiling softly. That was... sweet, that Will worried so much. “You did the best you could. Yeah, that would be great, actually. Thanks.”

**He hadn't done the best. He really hated that he could still feel the urge to just use his power to get rid of the injury. "I'll be right back." Bill headed to the bathroom and grabbed the painkillers, but before going back to Pine Tree he stared at his reflection in the mirror for a moment, taking off his eyepatch. He wouldn't forget who he was, he was the master of the mind, he wouldn't let a puny human get in his head.**

"Alright," Dipper nodded a little, shifting to stay comfortable as he waited for Bill to return. If he was guessing right, it would be at least a week before he was able to really put his weight back on his leg and have most of the functioning back. Humming a little, he found some scratch paper under the counter and started doodling on it.

**After a couple of minutes, Bill put the eyepatch back on and returned to the gift shop where Dipper was waiting for him with the painkillers and a glass of water. He placed them both on the counter and watched the other as he doodled. "Hey, I was meaning to ask... That journal you keep, it's related to the things that happen around here, right?"**

Dipper popped some of the painkillers, swallowing down half the water in a few gulps to wash them down. Setting the glass down, he glanced up at Will. "Yeah... it is. What I've learned on my own, anyway."

**"And I'm guessing that's the real reason why you want this place to stay open?" Bill raised an eyebrow. He didn't think Dipper was too much like Ford, he was curious and he wanted to investigate the town, but not because he wanted fame or money, to be recognized by the scientific community like Ford had wanted back when he was young. The Mystery Shack was basically a way to make money for a living while he used his free time to have his adventures.**

"Mainly, yeah. I want to still be able to explore and learn.. but I need this place to stay around so that I can actually afford to still do that. Still, need to make enough to eat and stuff," he explained, smiling a little. He wasn't like Stan, who wanted to make his million based off this. Or Ford, who wanted to become well known in the scientist field. He just.... wanted to know. Everything.

**"Sounds like a nice plan." Still sounded a little boring for Bill, but then again, most things ended up being boring for him, it was what came with immortality. For a human things were different... And, for a human,** **_his_ ** **type of fun was... well... Not exactly fun. Bill was about to say something else when the first family of the day walked into the Mystery Shack. It was show time.**

“It’s not much,” he admitted. “But it’s want I want, so it’s enough for me.” He quickly straightened, smiling happily as the families started coming through. Telling his own stories and myths to match Will’s.

* * *

 

**After lunch, Mabel showed up back at the Shack and Bill assumed Dipper had called her to cover for them. She kept implying that he and Pine Tree were going on a date and even told Dipper to 'not do anything she wouldn't do'. Bill did his best to ignore her, but the comments made him think of his dream and before him and Dipper could leave he had to excuse himself and go to the bathroom to try and calm down his stupid human vessel.**

**"So... I'm right, aren't I?" Mabel asked her brother once they were alone. "Where are you taking him?"**

Dipper was pretty much able to ignore her until Will left the room, with the skull of someone who’d had years of practice. He was even able to block out the dream from coming up. Sighing softly, he limped out from around the counter so Mabel could take over. “We’re just going to the mall, Mabel. Just to get him some clothes that aren’t mine.”

**"Oh, come on, bro bro, I** **_know_ ** **you, you like the guy! You know you can trust me with your secret." Mabel wiggled her eyebrows and smiled widely at her brother. It was sooo obvious to her that Dipper was into Will, even if he was still in the process of denying it himself.**

Dipper was blushing, he knew he was. He could feel the heat crawling up his neck and threatening to take over his face. “Maybe I do like him,” he said simply. “But I sure as hell don’t know enough about him to go any farther than that. I trust him, completely, he saved my life last night, but... I want to know more before I dive into any sort of relationship with him. K?”

**Mabel sighed and rolled her eyes a little. “You’re always so paranoid, Dipper... what could be hiding? Just have fun!” Of course, she knew his brother was justified, but really, how bad could this man be? They had gotten rid of Bill Cipher and there really wasn’t anything worse than him in the universe.**

“Mabel... every single one of your boyfriends was a mythical creature. What do mean, what could he be hiding?” Dipper asked, shaking his head slowly. Honestly, after everything, he almost expected Mable to be a little more cautious. 

**Bill returned from the bathroom at that moment and offered Dipper a smile. “I’m ready, shall we?”**

**"So what if he is though? He definitely isn't gnomes and he can't be worse than-" Mabel stopped talking when Bill walked into the room. She bit her lip and glanced between the two guys.** ****  
  


Dipper nodded, smiling a little. “I’m ready. Here, Stan dropped this off earlier.” He passed Bill an envelope. “He pays in cash most of the time, but if you want, we can set up a bank account too.”

**Bill shook his head. "Cash is perfect." There was no need to draw more attention to himself and he was sure that no human back would let him open an account if he had no id and technically didn't exist.**

“If he is I want to know sooner rather than later,” Dipper hissed, smiling a little as he passed the money over. “Cool. I’ll just grab the car and pick you up.”

**Once Dipper was gone Mabel leaned closer to Bill. "Just make him talk about his studies, he** **_likes_ ** **that. You'll have him at your feet." Mabel gave Bill the thumbs-up and winked.**

**Bill found himself blushing a little. "I don't... Want something with him..." He murmured. Then again, having Pine Tree at his feet? That could come in handy in the future.**

Dipper popped in a couple minutes later, leaning against the doorframe to keep pressure off his leg. “Come on, let’s get outa here. Unless something happens, we should be back before closing, Mabel. I’ll let you know.”

**"Have fun you two!" Mabel waved them both goodbye and Bill walked out of the Mystery Shack, following Dipper into the car. "Your sister is always like that?" He asked him. He was wondering if he had given Dipper some sort of 'advice' on how to woo him as well.**

Dipper rolled his eyes as he slid inside, buckling his seatbelt. “Yeah. Ignore here; like I said, she sees romance  _ everywhere _ .” With that, he started forward.

**"Huh, shame, I was starting to think maybe I was special, with how much he insists about it..." Bill wiggled his eyebrows and then buckled up. At least he could use this to tease Dipper a little, seeing him get flustered was hilarious.**

“You know, I could say the same thing,” he teased right back, smirking a little as he started down the road.

**"Hey, another thing we have in common, you think I'm special too!" Bill laughed and then glanced out of the window. "Anyway... tell me more about the weird things that happen in this town." He was going to follow Mabel's advice for once, maybe it would work.**

Dipper laughed a little. “God, where do I start?” And that was really all it took, he was babbling about gnomes and mermen and the multibear for the rest of the ride.

**Bill listened to every word Dipper said, giving him all his attention even though he knew about the stuff he was telling him about, he knew almost all the mysteries of Gravity Falls. Still, he was supposed to make Dipper like him enough that he would start spilling the** **_other_ ** **secrets, Ford's, his own... "That is fascinating." He finally said once they parked in the mall's parking lot. "You found out all of that on your own?"**

“Some of it,” he said, a little careful of what came out of his mouth next. “People have been doing research before me, both my uncles did. And some things I learned. The gnomes, for example; we learned about them because five of them disguised themselves as a teenager and started dating Mabel.”

**Bill snorted and huffed a laugh. "Really? And you guys couldn't tell they were a bunch of gnomes?" Bill asked and then he got out of the car. He was ready to get himself some new clothes, though he knew that part of him would miss stealing Dipper's favorite shirts. "Is that something common? Your sister dating the supernatural?"**

“We were 12! And I thought he was a zombie,” Dipper laughed, shaking his head as he led the way up to the mall. “She was hoping for vampire. But yes. There were the gnomes, and the merman, a creepy puppeteer, a brainwashed boy band, this guy named Gideon dragged her along for a while...” He shook his head slowly. “It’s been a mess.”

**"Hey, sounds like she had fun. What about you, huh?" Bill nudged Dipper playfully as they walked. He honestly wanted to know what the guy had been up to while he was... well, dead, he had been dead for a couple of years when he thought about it, at least to this world. Hell, for this world he was still dead, in theory.**

“I haven’t had very many relationships,” he admitted. “I spent a lot of time a little obsessed with this girl, and it took me a while to grow up and stop. Other than that, just a few first dates, one night stands. Nothing serious.”

**"And no monsters I presume? I'm starting to think your sister is more adventurous than you." Bill grinned. He knew that comments like that used to get under Dipper's skin and he wondered if it was still the case.**

“She’s just less cautious,” he hummed, smiling a little. “I never said I  _ wouldn’t _ date a monster, I just never had a reason.”

**Bill smirked and glanced briefly at Dipper before entering a store that caught his eye. He was thinking about asking him later if he thought he was a monster, he was sure that, while Dipper trusted him, he suspected something. But now wasn't the time, they had talked enough about this and the former demon wanted to focus on himself for a bit, get some proper clothes for once.**

Dipper followed along, shifting a little. The store was fancier than he expected, or was used to, but if this what Will wanted, then it was whatever.

**Bill spent some time looking through the different clothes and picked up a few articles to try them on. He didn't bother with being fast about it, hoping that maybe Dipper would be slightly bothered for having to wait for him. Annoying the kid was fun, he loved it when he looked frustrated or like he would rather be somewhere else, so he was trying to get that sort of reaction. At some point, while he was almost done, he called one of the clerks and asked them if they knew of a place where he could get a suit tailored for him. He wasn't planning to get it now, he clearly didn't have the money, but it would be good to know.**

One of the best things about the past ten years was that Dipper had grown up. He had matured, learned patience and calm and quiet. The qualities that made him good at finding mysterious creatures in the forest, sneaking up on them on silent steps and befriending some, were the same qualities that left him standing, quiet and peaceful, in a sea of clothing that he would never consider getting for himself as he waited for Will to pick out what he wanted. Thoughts fluttered through his brain, a million miles away from the situation. 

The clerk was happy to help, coming over with answers; an address, name, and phone number for the male to take out with him.

**Bill was grateful for the help and made sure to place the piece of paper in the back pocket of the jeans he was currently wearing, then he gave the pile of clothes he would be finally buying to the clerk so that he could prepare everything and headed to the register to pay. He noticed Dipper didn't seem at all bothered by having to wait for that long and that disappointed Bill a little. But oh well, he had the clothes, that was rewarding enough for that day. "As soon as we get back to the Mystery Shack, I'll change and give you back your clothes, don't worry, kid."**

Dipper smiled a little, shrugging faintly. "Sure, thanks. I can wash everything tonight, then; get some of my favorite shirts back. Little Thief." He was teasing, clearly, smile widening and laughter concealed in his voice. "Is that all you wanted, then? Or do you want to stop somewhere else, too?"

**Bill was surprised that Dipper really didn't seem annoyed at all about the shirts. He had changed quite a bit in the last couple of years, hadn't he? "No, not today, I should keep a bit of money for food, right? Or other things." He just didn't think he had enough for his suit yet and he didn't want to go order it while he was with Dipper anyway.**

"You don't need to worry about food, it's included in your room and board," Dipper assured, smiling a little as he waited for Will to finish paying so he could help with the bags. "Just wanted to make sure before we left."

**"Still, this is enough for now, I don't think it's a good idea to waste my whole salary at one." He had five changes of clothes as well as underwear, he felt it would be enough for a while... And maybe, if everything went right, he wouldn't really need more clothes in a couple of weeks, if he managed to get his own power back somehow. "We can head back or just do whatever you want now, you did wait for me to buy all of this... Must have been boring."**

"That's smart," he agreed, sliding his hands into his pockets with a nod and a smile. "Yeah, but I do spend hours sitting in the woods not moving to try and lure trolls out, so this wasn't that big of a deal. I don't think I need anything... So we could head back."

**"Trolls? You need to tell me more about this adventures of yours... Maybe you could even take me with you into the woods sometimes? I have thought about going alone, but... I already got lost there once." Bill looked away and scratched the back of his neck, pretending to feel embarrassed.**

Dipper nodded a little, smiling a little dreamily. "Yeah, I can take you in there with me. Start you with something pretty calm and relaxed."

**"That sounds like a good idea, I think that after that ghost I'm not ready for something too out there." Trolls were fine, even calmer than gnomes, if he could get close enough to one of them he could try to take their energy as well, it wouldn't be much, but it would be something.**

"Yeah, that ghost was enough adventure for a couple days at least," he agreed, laughing a little as they headed out to the car again. Trolls would be good- they were calm, fairly quiet, and most importantly; curious. If they just hung out near where they lived for long enough, they'd come.

**"I'm glad to know we feel the same way about that." Bill got inside the car with his bags and leaned against the door to be able to face Dipper as he drove back to the shack. "Hey, I was wondering... When is your other uncle coming back to Gravity Falls? I'd love to meet him."**

Dipper hummed a little as they headed back to the Shack, shrugging with one shoulder. "Couple weeks, maybe? Ford is... he doesn't really tell us anything, I guess. I'm not expecting him for a couple weeks, but he could walk in tomorrow, or he could be out there until June."

**"Huh, not that much of a family person?" One would think the old man would have learned something thanks to Bill almost taking over the universe... It was okay though, the former demon would be better off without Ford around, he had more chances of finding out who he was than Dipper or the rest, to be honest.**

"He just gets distracted following leads. He calls pretty often, makes sure we're okay, nothing too bad has happened. But honestly, I'd rather have him out there." He sighed a little, falling silent as they approached the shack and parked. "Anything else you're planning on doing tonight?"

**Bill shook his head no. "Not really..." He said as he grabbed his bags once again. Then he glanced at Dipper. "What about you? You didn't call that guy for another date, did you?" He raised an eyebrow. Bill told himself he was asking just because he wanted Dipper to feel like he was interested in him, win him over like Mabel had said but just so that it would be easier to use him.**

Dipper shook his head. "I thought I'd wait a little bit longer, see if he called first. If he doesn't in a couple more days I will, see if there's anything there, but I'm not holding out too much hope. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted." He didn't seem that broken up about it, hiding the fact that he was actually upset behind a pleasant smile and a small shrug as he opened the door.

**"Well, if he doesn't you can always come cry on my shoulder." Bill got out of the car and made sure to stay close to Dipper as they walked back to the shack. He needed to try and be supportive, he was trying to at least become Dipper's friend, right? Gain even more of his trust, maybe something else... Damn, his head kept going back to that dream. "I'll be right back with your clothes," Bill told the other once they were inside and he ran to his room to change.**

He chuckled a little. "Thanks, but I don't think it'll come to that. I'm pretty used to relationships not working out by this time." Not that it didn't sting a little bit each time. There just wasn't much he could do. "Alright. I'll toss them in in a little while."

**Bill walked out of the room carrying Dipper's clothes after a few long minutes he spent deciding what to wear. He ended up choosing a pair of black jeans a white dress shirt and a yellow sweater. He felt nice wearing clothes he actually liked and he felt he had made a good choice. "Here. Thanks again."**

Dipper smiled a little, taking his clothes and running his eyes along the new outfit Will had picked out. He had to admit, they looked a lot nicer on him than Dipper's clothes ever did. "Nice," he hummed. "Thank you." He headed off, completely ignoring the little nervous wiggle in the back of his mind- people could wear black and yellow without being evil, after all.

**Bill headed for the kitchen and was greeted by Mabel and Stan, who were already eating. Both complimented him on his new outfit and Stan told him to help himself to the food, which Bill did. The whole family eating dinner together wasn’t something that usually happened and Bill felt a little weird every time he took part in it, but he still did it.**

Dipper made his appearance a short time later, grabbing a couple more painkillers before taking his seat. He was quick to field questions about what had happened, brushing them off with smiles and assurances. He didn't want anyone to worry about him, after all. He just wanted to enjoy the meal and get some of his own work done.

**Since Dipper didn't seem to want Stan to know about what had happened with the ghost, Bill didn't mention it. There was no point in trying to get on Pine Tree's nerves with that, it was too troublesome since the other would certainly point out that Bill had probably been the one who had provoked the being in the first place. Bill liked to have Stan on his side, he didn't want the old man to get mad at him for causing damage to the shack.**

**Bill finished his meal rather quickly and excused himself, telling everyone he was tired and wanted to head to bed.**

Dipper just smiled, and it wasn't much longer before he finished and limped his way up to his room to grab his notebook. "Going out into the woods!" He called, grabbing a coat and several pens before heading outside.

**Bill saw Pine Tree going into the woods through his window and for a moment he thought about joining him, but he decided against it. It was true that he was tired, because of his dream he had woken up rather early and now he really needed to sleep. Human bodies required way too many things...**

Dipper wasn't out that long in the first place, he just wanted to exhaust him enough to, hopefully... not have another dream that night. That was all he was really after, in the end. He crept back into the house, heading to his room to sleep for a while.


	5. Let's Talk about Childhood Trauma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill finds another victim to get energy from and Dipper suspicions grow. Also, Dipper opens up to Bill a lot more than he thought he would.

**Bill ended up dreaming of Pine Tree again, except this time he could tell it was a dream and had wanted to change it but... He hadn't been able to. That was infuriating for the former demon, he used to be the master of the mind and now he couldn't even control his own dreams. Around 3 am he managed to wake up and he went down to the gift shop to distract his mind, unable to fall asleep again. He sat by the piano and as softly as he could he started to play a sweet melody.**

On a normal night, he wouldn’t have even noticed. But tonight, he was on edge from the attack the night before and restless from dreams about Will. And his leg hurt, which was starting to really annoy him- maybe he needed to see the doctor anyway. But, all of this meant he was awake, staring out the window, and just caught faint piano music. Tensing slightly, he stood, creeping down the stairs to the store. Maybe it was nothing, but it could have been the ghost, maybe the mirror didn’t work, and he needed to find out. Pausing in the doorway, he let out a silent breath. Just Will, quietly plucking at the keys.

**Bill felt like he was being watched so he stopped playing and looked up towards the stairs. He relaxed a little when he noticed it was just Pine Tree. “Can’t sleep?” He asked him and moved aside a little, leaving Dipper space to sit next to him. It was a silent invitation. Without saying anything else he continued playing.**

“Yeah... weird dreams again. On edge,” Dipper nodded, moving forward to sit down next to him and listen to him play. It was soft and sweet, something that calmed his fried nerves and settled his breathing.

 **"Can't do much about that, sorry." Bill murmured, briefly glancing at Dipper before moving his attention to the keys once again. "** **_Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream..._ ** **" Bill started singing softly. He wasn't sure what made him pick that song, but he couldn't stop now that he had started it. "** **_Make him the cutest that I've ever seen... Give him two lips like roses and clover... Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over..._ ** **" He continued, eyes closed. With each word, he became even more aware of Dipper's presence next to him.**

“It’s okay... just keep playing,” he said softly, listening to the notes, the melodious sound of Will’s voice. He was barely focusing on the words anymore, just the tune. And Will had barely been playing for a few minutes before Dipper’s head tipped slightly, resting against the pianist’s shoulder as his eyes closed and he slept.

**Bill finished the song and only after that he noticed Dipper was asleep. He huffed a laugh and ran a hand through his hair. "What? I'm supposed to carry you to bed now, Pine Tree?" He murmured and sighed, then he carefully pulled the man to his lap and then stood up and carried him to his room because it was closer that Dipper's... And also because he really wanted to see the guy's reaction in the morning when he woke up in a bed that wasn't his own.**

Dipper shifted a little, murmuring something under his breath as he was picked up. He was quick to settle down again, nuzzling against his chest just slightly as he slipped farther into sleep. Slowly, he curled his fingers into his shirt, letting go as he was set on the bed and curling into a ball.

**Bill just stared at the sleeping Dipper for a few minutes before he got inside the bed as well. Pine Tree was adorable when he was asleep, even after all those years. He was peaceful and part of Bill wanted to get in his head and mess with his dreams like he used to, but he didn't, instead, he tried to fall asleep again. It took him about half an hour, but he finally managed.**

* * *

 

When Dipper opened his eyes, they were a lot closer than when they had fallen asleep. In fact, he had taken advantage of the warm body and his natural want of cuddling to basically rest his head on Will’s chest and wrap an arm around his waist.

But he didn’t freak out that much when he woke up. Slowly, Dipper’s eyes fluttered open, his breath catching for a moment before he relaxed again. He was still dressed, so they didn’t do anything, and a tiny part of him remembered dozing off on his shoulder.

 **Bill had woken up a while ago -sleep really came hard for him and it didn't help that now he was human and actually** **_needed_ ** **it- and had been patiently waiting for the other's reaction. It was yet another disappointment for the former demon and it made him pout. "Not exactly what I expected..." Maybe he should have gone a bit further and undressed the other... Oh well, next time it would be. "Anyway... did you sleep well?"**

“I’ve woken up in weirded places,” he murmured. Slowly, he pulled back, yawning softly and rubbing his eyes. “Good. Better than I thought I was going to. What about you? You still look tired.”

**"Yeah... I slept a bit but then I woke up again... And again. I don't know, I don't think I've had a full night of sleep since getting here." Or ever, since he used to not need sleep. Bill got out of the bed and started taking off his clothes to change into something for the day. He just gave his back to Dipper, not really caring if he looked.**

Dipper wasn’t looking, just letting him change. “You should have woken me up, I know I few methods to help get to sleep. I’d try and help you,” he hummed, yawning again and stretching.

**"I'll keep that in mind next time you sleep in my bed," Bill said, looking over his shoulder as he put on his jeans and giving Dipper a mischievous look. "Is the Mystery Shack closed on Sundays or we still gotta work?" Bill finished changing and turned around to face the other.**

“It doesn’t open until noon on Sundays,” he said, ignoring both the look and the comment for the moment. He stood, straightening his shirt. “You don’t have to wait until I fall asleep on you to ask for help. Just come get me. You can sleep in my room next time.”

**"Careful, I might just take you up on that offer." The former demon walked closer to Dipper and took his hand to pull him up from the bed. "If we have time till noon then maybe you can show me the forest?" He asked, pulling him closer to him, resting his free hand on the man's waist.**

"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want you to take me up on it," the younger pointed out, smiling a little as he took his hand. A very faint blush was starting to crawl up his cheeks. "Sure. I can show you the trolls, they're pretty cute. And nice."

**"Perfect." Bill grinned and let go of the other man, turning around and heading out of the room. He had seen the blush on Dipper's face and now he was committed to getting in the man's head in this way, it would definitely be fun. "Come on, we don't have all day." He called out when he noticed the other wasn't following him close behind.**

Dipper shook his head, before laughing a little and following him out of the room. "I'm coming, I'm coming, don't you worry about it." Jogging a little to catch up, he casually took his hand and pulled him along. "We have to go kinda deep to find them, but the path is pretty open."

**Bill jumped a little when the other took his hand, clearly not expecting it, but he didn't mind, so he just smiled and nodded. "We could get something to eat and have breakfast in the woods too, what do you think?" The longer they spent in the woods the more likely it would be for the trolls to come out of their hiding places.**

"That's a good idea." He nodded, detouring into the kitchen to make a small picnic for the pair. Once he was done, he slid it over his arm and smiled at Will. " Let's go."

**Bill followed Dipper out of the Mystery Shack and into the woods. It was pretty early, around 7 am, so they had quite a bit of time until noon. The demon hoped he would be able to get out of this little adventure with a bit more of energy…**

**And no problems. He knew it would be tricky to take a troll's energy without killing it for taking too much, but he had to try.**

Dipper led the way down the path, whistling softly as they headed for the troll's homes and nests. He was eager and excited to show Will what he knew, what kind of things hid out in the woods. It didn't take very long for him to lead the other off the path, stopping next to a fallen log. "And this is where we wait," he murmured, sitting down. "It's best if we talk to each other, but quietly."

**Bill nodded and sat down, leaning against the log. "First we eat and then we talk." He had never waited long after waking up to eat breakfast and he was feeling the effects. He didn't like it, he felt dizzy and sitting down made him feel a little bit better. "What did you get?"**

"I just packed some sandwiches, chips, apples, stuff like that. This is for the trolls, though, they like it best." He set aside a little bag, having opened the picnic and settling it between them. "

**Bill grabbed a sandwich and took a large bite out of it. Once he had swallowed he sighed in relief. "Remind me to never go out with you again if we haven't eaten anything." He hadn't expected his body to react in such a horrible way.**

Dipper winced a little. "Ah, sorry, should have thought of that. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again," he assured, crunching into his apple.

**"Really?" Bill raised an eyebrow. He hadn't been serious... He definitely hadn't expected that kind of answer, a laugh? Maybe, but this... It felt weird that Dipper seemed to really care about him on some level. "I never thought I'd have met someone willing to take care of me in any way." The former demon looked away and took another bite of his sandwich.**

"Well... yeah. I sometimes forget that most people actually eat at regular times," he added with a little awkward chuckle. Pausing, he tipped his head a little. Really? But... Will seemed so nice, easy to get along with. There must have been someone, somewhere, that wanted him around, wanted to help him. "Well... I will if you let me," he said quietly.

**Bill glanced at Dipper and for a brief moment his usual smile was nowhere to be seen, but he quickly made sure to change that. "Maybe I will." He said and looked away again, out to the woods, in the direction that he knew his old body was, turned into stone. This was just a game for him, he needed to remember that, he was just trying to get Dipper to like him so that he would help him to get his power back.**

Dipper noticed. Of course, he did, he had spent the last ten years learning how to notice the tiniest things. So he noticed the missing smile, and how quick Will was to cover up his momentary slip and return to 'normal.' He made a mental note and moved on. "Alright," he agreed, glancing out into the woods. A hand inched up to touch his wrist as dark eyes swept over the direction to The Statue. He knew exactly how far it would take to get there, how many steps, how long. He'd gone there often enough in the past few years.

**Bill finished his breakfast in silence and when he was done he threw his head back and closed his eyes. "It's nicer in here than I remember." He murmured after a few minutes. He was referring to his previous time in Gravity Falls, he had never had a quiet moment in those woods. "I get why you like it here so much."**

Dipper nodded, smiling a little as he looked over the woods again. He wouldn't focus on that section of the woods, he would just enjoy this time together. "Yeah... once you find a spot, it's just... perfect." Turning his attention back to Will, he paused. "Hey... Can I ask you a question?"

**"Shoot," Bill said, keeping his eyes closed, arms crossed over his chest. He knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep, but like this, he could at least rest his eyes for a little while, at least until the trolls made an appearance.**

Dipper hesitated for a moment longer, just watching him be peaceful for a few minutes. Finally, he leaned forward, lightly touching one of the cords holding the eyepatch in place. "... What happened?"

**Bill immediately moved away from Dipper and covered his eyepatch with his hand. He couldn't believe he had let his guard down like that, Pine Tree could have easily pushed the fabric out of the way! "None of your business." He replied in a not so friendly tone. He hadn't come up with a story for that and, anyway, he felt it would be better if the other simply thought it wasn't something he liked to talk about.**

Dipper instantly backed away, holding his hands up. "Easy, easy," he said, dropping his voice to something soothing, soft. "Sorry, I'm sorry. I wasn't going to look, I understand if it's private." He sounded almost like he was trying to calm a wounded, startled animal. "It's okay, Will. Just breathe, yeah? I won't ask again, I won't touch, I won't look."

**Bill narrowed his eyes at Dipper. "I'm not a cat, you know? You don't have to talk to me like that." The former demon relaxed a little and lowered his hand, then made sure the eyepatch wouldn't move out of its place. "It's just a painful memory and I don't like thinking about it."**

Dipper risked a small smile. "It works surprisingly well on startled, scare, anxious, or angry humans, too," he answered, waiting until Will had dropped his hand away from the patch to lower his own, folding them in his lap. "Okay. Then I won't ask again."

**"Thank you. You can ask me anything but that, happy?" Bill relaxed against the log once again, though this time he kept his eyes open. While he waited for the other to say something, he thought about possible questions he could ask as well, but he hoped he wouldn't really have to ask anything, that the human would be interested enough in him to ask all the questions... It was pretty exhausting and boring to pretend to be amazed or even interested in things he already knew about.**

DIpper nodded. "Sure. That works just fine," he said lightly, leaning back to look around as he thought of another question. "Hmm... Okay. How about... where were you born?"

**"New York," Bill replied and threw his arms over his head, making himself a little more comfortable. He could spot some of the eyes he had etched in the pines long ago and he could swear he felt his right eye burn a little under the eyepatch. "Upper East Side, in case you're wondering."**

"That's... that's really cool," he said with a little smile, nodding slowly. "What brought you to Gravity Falls, then?"

**"My family sort of disowned me, so I left and about a year ago I found out they all died but instead of leaving me anything they donated it... Or well, tried to donate everything but I might have kept something really valuable for myself, something secret... I came here because I knew nobody would look for me in this town." The demon closed his eyes again and tried to look through one of the eyes, but he failed, it just made his right eye hurt. He hissed a little. Clearly, the energy he had taken from the ghost wasn't compatible with that kind of ability or maybe it just wasn't enough. Bill had no idea he had used most of it already, to enter that dream of Dipper by accident.**

Dipper winced, shaking his head slowly. "That's... awful. I'm sorry," he said quietly, not sure where to go from there.

**Bill shrugged. “It’s okay, I stopped caring already, don’t worry about me, kid.” The demon rubbed his eye a little and straightened up a when he heard some noise coming from a nearby bush.**

Dipper just shook his head, before sitting up quickly. "Keep talking," he said softly, slowly opening the bag of small fruits and granola he had gathered, and dumping some on the log. "What's your favorite color?"

**“Yellow,” Bill says without thinking too much of it. He sees no point in lying, most of the clothes he had bought were either black or yellow -though he had gotten a few white and blue garments too-, so the other would have figured that out eventually. “Yours?” He asked, realizing he didn’t know that.**

"Green," he answered, just as quickly, as he glanced behind him for a second and waited for the troll to make an appearance. "If you could have one animal for a pet, what would it be and why?"

**“Mmmm...” A human maybe, now that he was thinking about it... but he couldn’t say that, could he? “A deer, don’t really know why, but I like them. That’s an odd question to ask.”**

"It's just a question. I'd like something I haven't actually seen before. Like a dragon or something, because I'm sure they exist."

**They did, they were annoying, thought they were better than Bill. “I bet they are probably jerks.” He murmured under his breath. “What else haven’t you seen but still believe that it exists?”**

He shrugged a little. "Yeah, maybe," he said agreeably, smiling a little. "I believe that anything can exist. Unicorns, vampires, aliens, fairies. It's just a matter of looking in the right place."

**“Demons too?” Bill asked and for a brief second, he smirked. “Doesn’t that scare you? Sure, some of those creatures seem nice but if Demons, vampires, and zombies were real then wouldn’t you be afraid of getting out of your house?”**

"I already know demons exist. He was a dick and fucked me over pretty good, but I'm not scared of him." Dipper smiled a little, shaking his head slightly. "I can't learn about them if I'm too scared to go out."

**“You’ve really met a demon?” Bill felt a little proud of himself, knowing that the human admitted that he had clearly affected him in a deeper level, probably shaped him even. “Does that have something to do with this?” Bill pointed at Dipper’s tattoo.**

Dipper nodded, lightly running his fingers along the zodiac symbols. "Yes, it is. It's how to both summon him and send him back. Since I destroyed the journals the information was in, it seemed like a good idea to keep it around. Just in case."

**“You think he could come back? Am I in danger if I associate with you?” Bill pretended to be a bit scared, but he made it so that it was pretty obvious he wasn’t, that he was just messing with Dipper. “Is this why Stan made me get life insurance?”**

"Sure, he might. It's always a chance." He shrugged a little. "No, I'd protect you. But Stan did make you take out life insurance because of how dangerous this town can be." He was teasing, smiling a little.

Bill didn’t have a chance to respond, however. Dipper was touching the inside of his wrist suddenly, pointing to the small creature that had climbed up next to them. It was barely a couple feet tall, nibbling on a grape.

**Bill grinned when he saw the little troll. He wanted to get closer, but he knew that sudden movements would make it go away, so he didn’t move -Well, maybe he did move closer to Dipper... just a little bit. “It’s so... tiny.”**

“Yeah,” Dipper murmured, nodding a little. “I think it’s a child one,” he explained, adding some interesting facts about them.

**Bill barely listened to Dipper this time, his eyes locked on their surroundings. He couldn’t take a child’s energy, it would easily kill it, so he was hoping another troll would appear. “Do they move in... packs?” He asked.**

“Sometimes. Because that one is a child, and since we’re so close, we’ll see more soon,” he assured.

**Yeah, just like Bill had expected. He just hoped these creatures wouldn’t recognize him like the ghost did... well, at least they couldn’t speak, so even if they did Dipper wouldn’t find out.**

Dipper continued to quietly talk about basically nothing, watching the troll and waiting for more to appear. It wasn’t long before there were four or five more, crowded around the offering.

**There were a couple adult trolls that seemed healthy enough to endure the spell, so now Bill only had to make sure Dipper wouldn’t notice what he was doing. Slowly he moved away from the human and closer to the trolls, with the excuse of taking a better look.**

Dipper gently touched the inside of his wrist, stopping him. "Hang on," he whispered, before gently dropping a couple grapes and granola into his hand. "There. Try that."

**“Thanks.” Bill murmured. Part of him wanted to reveal his intentions to Dipper, make him feel awful for helping him do what he wanted to do, but, while it would be hilarious to see Pine Tree’s reaction, it wasn’t worth it.**

**Bill slowly crawled closer to the trolls, giving his back to Dipper and offering them the grapes.**

It took a few minutes for the Trolls to notice Bill, happily munching away and squeaking at each other. It was almost cute. Soon, however, one of them did see the former demon, watching him with wide eyes before inching closer to take a grape.

 **Since the trolls seemed to trust him enough and Dipper couldn’t see his face, Bill reached for one of the bigger ones, pretending to pet it, and murmured the words of the spell. Well, he didn’t even** **_say_ ** **the words actually, he just moved his mouth to form them, it was enough. The demon closed his eyes as he felt the rush of energy enter his body.**

The troll squeaked, clearly not happy with what was happening. It was both a call for help and a warning for the others. One of them, small and brave, came up and bit Bill.

**“Shit!” Bill moved his hand away and opened his eyes. Well, it was better this way, he had almost taken too much energy... “What did I do?” He asked despite knowing full well, just to make sure Dipper wouldn’t suspect anything.**

Dipper jumped forward, taking Bill's hand. "I... I don't know, they've never done that to me," he said softly, looking over the bite marks, the steady stream of blood leaking down the back of his hand. "Here, I have gauze." He pulled back, digging it out of his bag and carefully wrapping his hand.

The trolls were gathering around the one that Bill had been siphoning energy from, the one that had bitten him was standing guard.

**"Thanks." Bill glared at the trolls when Dipper wasn't looking, it was a warming, letting them know it would be better if they just left. Bill didn't want to deal with angry trolls, even less so knowing how friendly they usually were because if the suddenly were against Bill then Dipper could start suspecting him again. "We can't get a break, huh?"**

"Maybe you're bad luck," Dipper teased, making a note on a napkin and shoving it in his pocket. That was odd, he'd have to look into it when he was alone. The trolls were already leaving, anyway. He taped down the gauze, holding Will's hand in his. "There."

**Bill looked up at Dipper and offered him a charming smile. "I think I can definitely trust you to take care of me, huh?" Bill moved a little bit closer to Dipper. "Sorry I ruined the outing, I don't know what came over them." The former demon glanced at the trolls as they went back to their hiding places.**

Dipper paused before smiling softly, nodding. "Of course you can. You didn't think I'd just drop you off to flounder, did you?" He squeezed his hand gently. "You didn't ruin anything, don't worry about it, okay?"

**Bill nodded and glanced down at his hand. He had made the bleeding spot and under the gauze, it had started healing already, not too fast, but definitely faster than it would on a normal human. "I hope next time it goes better." He said and stood up. They still had time to walk around the woods for a little longer and he was curious about where else Dipper would like to take him.**

Dipper nodded slowly, standing and releasing his hand. He left the snacks for the tolls, packing the rest of the picnic. "Anything, in particular, you want to see?" He asked.

**Bill shook his head. "Surprise me, I have the feeling you won't disappoint." The former demon started walking in a random direction, not too fast though, just waiting for Dipper to take the lead. There were a lot of places they could go and one he was sure they would never visit.**

Dipper followed him for a few moments, letting him pick a general direction before looking around. Huh... There wasn't a whole lot out here. "Let me think.. the gnomes are this way, but I don't know if we should actually see them... I don't know how friendly they'll be."

 **“Like the kind that tried to kidnap your sister? No thanks.” He was sure he would be able to deal with gnomes, but they were more likely to figure out who he was and they could** **_speak_ ** **.**

"Yeah. But they haven't tried to do anything like that in 9 years or something." He chuckled softly, shaking his head a little before stopping in his path. He hadn't been paying attention to where they were going... "Uh... let's turn around, head back."

**Bill frowned a little. “What? Why?” The former demon glanced over his shoulder at Dipper, looking confused. He hadn’t realized where they were going either, but when he did he didn’t let it show in his face.**

"The only thing this way is a grave. You don't need to see that," he said simply, still standing still in the middle of the woods.

**“Oh.” Bill’s expression changed a little, there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. Yes, he supposed it could be considered a grave... “Someone you lost?” He asked Dipper, turning around and taking a few steps towards him to close the distance between them.**

Dipper covered his arm again, staring into the woods for a few minutes. Shaking his head, his expression hardened. "Not exactly. Let's go, Will."

**Bill nodded and glanced in the direction of his ‘statue’ one more time before following Pine Tree back to the Mystery Shack. He kept silent for a big part of the walk back but eventually, he asked: “It has something to do with the demon, doesn’t it?”**

After a few minutes, he nodded. “Yeah... that’s where he’s... buried, I guess you could say.” Despite he hesitation in his voice, it was hard, firm. Almost angry.

 **“Huh, I see, no reason to pay your respects to that grave, right?” Bill said and looked down at his feet as he walked. It bothered him, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, it still bothered him that everyone in Gravity Falls kept trying to** **_forget_ ** **or just pretended he wasn’t** **_there_ ** **. And Dipper acknowledged the place, but still, no respect.**

Dipper sighed a little, stopping to turn and face Will. "I already did."  Slowly, he ran a hand through his hair. "I went back to that place at least once a week for three straight summers, I tried to understand why he had done what he did. Why he hurt me and my family so much that it almost destroyed us and the town. But there isn't any way for me to get any answers, and after a while, I stopped coming as often. I still go on the anniversary, because he might have been the physical embodiment of evil, but I'm not a monster. But I had to move on, he had already consumed enough of my life." He shrugged a little. “In the end? I still remember Bill Cipher. I still think about him sometimes. I just refuse to let his memory control me anymore.”

 **Bill was left speechless after Dipper's words. He had no idea how to answer that without giving himself away, so he just nodded and started walking once again, eyes on the path. "I... I wish I could understand better." He said in the end, after staying silent for a long time, when they could already see the Mystery Shack in the distance. Dipper saw things in a way Bill hadn't for a really long time, ever since he destroyed his own family. The former demon had been sure he had buried that part of his life for good, but yet Pine Tree's words managed to make him feel again and for a brief second the** **_guilt_ ** **was unbearable... But it didn't last long.**

Dipper sighed softly, shaking his head a little as he paused just inside the treeline. "So do I. I guess... I guess I still think that I should have been able to do more. With all the good things I've done, he's the only being I've ever met that I can say I've never been able to help. Maybe I should have done better." He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck slowly. He couldn't think of any way he could have changed what happened, because obviously, he wasn't going to just _let_ Bill destroy his world, but still... He almost felt bad.

**Bill gulped and turned to face the human. “Can’t help those that don’t want your help though, right?” Dipper was helping him now at least... He really was surprised by this discovery, he had always thought the human only hated him, it was what made sense, that he would be looking for some kind of revenge, not that he would feel bad for not being able to do more for him. It was strange, Bill had a lot more experience dealing with people that hated him... Or people that were basically under his control.**

Dipper nodded. “Hmm... Yeah. I guess part of me just wanted to think he wanted help. That he could be a good person if he tried.” Sighing a little, he ran his fingers through his hair. “Whatever. Clearly, he couldn’t be, so there wasn’t a lot I could do.” With that, he left the shelter of the woods, marching across the open space to the Mystery Shack.

**Bill followed Dipper, trying not to think too much of what the other had said. The past was in the past and he hadn’t wanted nor needed anyone’s help... once back in the Mystery Shack, Bill got himself something to eat and settled behind the counter, ready for the clients. He didn’t feel like having lunch with the Pines’s at the moment.**

Dipper didn’t want to deal with any of them right then, just brushed aside the questions with smiles and convincing answers before moving to his room. He felt antsy and anxious, pacing the room to try and relax.

**Bill didn’t question the fact that Dipper wasn’t working with him since it wasn’t all that uncommon. He was probably locked in his room or in the lab, doing research. The former demon worried for a moment that maybe he would be trying to figure out why the troll had bitten him, but he was trying not to think about that and let work distract him.**

Once Dipper was settled again, he sank into his bed, letting out a breath.   
What was up with the trolls? Even when he’d been new and had no idea what he was doing, they had never attacked. Maybe.... maybe it was Will. Dipper still didn’t think he was human, so…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you're enjoying this as much as me and Void (NightWing18) enjoyed it while writing it, let us know in the comments!


	6. Is you mess with the demon you get the... fangs?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper finds out the truth about 'Will'... Or does he?
> 
>  
> 
> Smut ahead kids. Don't like, don't read.

**By the time it was time to close the Mystery Shack, Bill had started getting worried again about Dipper and the possibility that he could be trying to figure out the thing about the trolls, so he decided to search for him and provide a distraction. Lucky for him, he didn't have to search for too long and he found him in his room. "Hey, is everything okay?" He asked as he slowly walked in.**

Dipper nodded, still sitting on his bed as he looked down at the journal in his hands. Things didn’t add up. And while he trusted Will with his life... he needed answers. “Yeah... just thinking.”

**Bill glanced at the journal and bit his lip. He was hesitant to come closer, but he did. “I shouldn’t have asked you to take me to the forest.” He said and sat down next to Dipper in bed. “I didn’t mean to make you relive bad memories...” Oh, but he had, he had wanted Dipper to remember, to think about him and he hated that now he felt guilty, that his** **_human emotions_ ** **seemed to be taking control.**

Dipper slowly closed the journal as Will joined him, smiling faintly. “No, don’t. I was happy to show you around. I’ll do it again as soon as you want.” He paused. “It’s not that big of a deal,” he started slowly. “It was good to talk about; I can’t with anyone else around. They want to pretend nothing happened. But I wasn’t really focusing on bad memories anyway.”

**Bill smiled a little and nodded. “It seemed like you were though...” The demon sighed and then shrugged. “Anyway, I came here to distract you from that, not to start thinking about it again.” He said and nudged Dipper playfully.**

"No, I was just thinking. The whole thing... well, it makes me  _ sad, _ not really angry." He smiled a little, nudging Will back. "What did you have in mind?"

**The demon glanced at Dipper briefly and then glanced away as he thought of possible distractions. “I don’t know.” He moved closer. Everything he came up with required things they didn’t have or simply wouldn’t be something Dipñer would enjoy.**

Dipper chuckled softly, bumping their shoulders together lightly. “There are games and things we could play. Or movies we could watch.”

**"Mmm... Yes, I think I can deal with that, I love games." Bill gave Dipper a charming smile and laid down on his bed, looking up at him. "What do you want to play?" Of course, he knew it would most likely be some boring human game, but there was no way it would be** **_so boring_ ** **that Bill wouldn't be able to pretend he was having a good time.**

“Uh, we could play a video game, board game, or talking game.” He laid back next to Will, humming softly.

**Bill shrugged. "Your choice, you're the one that needs a distraction." Bill turned to face the other and suddenly became really aware of how close they were. For a brief moment, he blushed and had to look away.**

Dipper blinked, sulking in a breath before smiling slowly. "Alright... how about something easy? Like 20 questions. The only rule is you can't lie when the other person asks you a question."

**Bill frowned a little and glanced briefly at Dipper. He wasn't sure he would like that game... Then again, he could be pretty good at lying if he wanted to, so it wouldn't be hard to cheat the system since he didn't think Dipper would be able to tell. "Alright."**

"You can also say you don't want to answer the question if it's too personal or painful," he added gently, smiling softly as he settled on his side to face Will. "You can ask the first question."

**“Great.” Bill thought for a second and ended up moving to a sitting position once again to put some distance between him and the human. “Why do you go by Dipper?” Again, he knew this, but he had to ask something.**

Dipper chuckled a little, sliding his hand up to push his hair out of his face. "It's a nickname, I have a birthmark," he explained, showing it to him.

**“That’s an odd birthmark.” The dream demon said and snickered a little. “Seems you were meant to be in this town, huh? Your turn.”**

He nodded, smiling faintly. “Maybe. What’s your... middle name?”

**Well, he didn't have to lie about that, at least the other hadn't asked him his last name. "I don't have one." He said and immediately went to his next question. "Any other nicknames?"**

“Nope,” he answered quickly. “Just Dipper. The most dangerous thing you’ve ever done?”

**"Mmm... Let me think... I've done quite a few dangerous things in my life." Bill grinned and looked out of the triangular window as he thought about it. What could he say?  "Well, when I was living in New York with my parents I made a deal with a mob boss and it almost got me killed."**

Dipper blinked, propping himself up on his arm. “Wait, What?”

**"I wanted to make a point, to prove to my classmates that I wasn't someone they could mess with since they did it a lot." That wasn't how his relationship with other demons had gone for Bill, not at all... It** **_was_ ** **close to how some people in his dimension used to treat him though. The former dream demon shrugged. "So I wanted to show them I could have control over part of the city."**

Dipper seemed to get it, nodding slowly along with the explanation. "I see... That... I'm really sorry that you were treated like that," he said, soft and gently.

**Bill shrugged. "It's in the past, maybe I deserved it, who knows, right?" The demon glanced back at Dipper and offered him his trademark smile. "What about you, kid? The most dangerous thing you've done?"**

"I'm sure you didn't deserve it," he said firmly. No one really deserved to be bullied as kids, not really. He smiled back. "Um... Yeah, there's a lot, let me think... I stopped the end of the world once, that was pretty awful."

**"Really?" Bil smirked. His expression could be interpreted as someone who didn't believe what he was hearing, but it was more amused than anything else. He really wanted to hear Dipper's version of the story, how the kid narrated what had happened when he exaggerated and when he didn't. "All on your own?" The blond raised an eyebrow.**

"No, of course not. I had help. It was a mess, I still have the scars, but... I don't know. I don't really know how to explain it without making it seem like I'm trying to be a hero. I wasn't." He sighed a little. "What was the name of your best friend in school?"

**"I bet you felt like a hero though," Bill told Dipper and ran a hand through his hair, uncovering his birthmark again. He really liked it, he had never understood why the other kept it hidden. "I didn't really have a best friend but... I suppose I could go with Matt." He just chose the first name that came to his mind,**

"I just felt... tired. Happy it was over."

**"Of course." Bill waited for a long moment before he realized he hadn't asked a question himself. "First relationship?" That was something he didn't know, he had been around for Mabel's boyfriends, but knew nothing of Dipper's relationships.**

Dipper hummed a little, leaning into the hand running through his hair. It was nice, he enjoyed it, and it seemed that Will liked his birthmark. That was alright. "I went on a single date with Pacifica," he murmured. ".. What about yours?"

**"Never been in a relationship." Bill quickly answered and then his hand stopped for a moment. "Who's Pacifica? No, nevermind, I don't care, just going by the name, I can tell she's probably annoying... But really, you never had other dates? How old are you exactly?" He knew those were a lot of questions, but he couldn't help but ask.**

"I've had dates and relationships after that! You asked for my first!" He defended himself instantly.

**"Oh, right." Bill let out a nervous chuckle and nodded. He had gotten a little distracted by Pine Tree's hair and had forgotten the details of his question and also the fact that he had gone out with another guy just what? A day ago?. "Sorry. Still, how old are you?"**

"I'm 23," he answered, smiling a little as he shifted a little closer. "Can I ask a question now?"

**"Yes, sorry, I kinda cheated there," Bill said and went back to running his hand through the other's hair, but looked away from him.**

Dipper hummed softly, closing his eyes with a content look on his face. "If you could have one day to do anything, what would you do?"

**"That's a hard question... Too many possibilities." He was going to have to go for something stupid, something a human would want, there was no way any of his real answers wouldn't make Dipper suspect. "Fly, maybe, or be able to do magic."**

Dipper grinned a little, shaking his head. "No.. no you wouldn't," he laughed softly. "That's boring. You wouldn't actually want to do that."

**"Oh, tell me then, what would I like to do?" Bill rolled his eyes. This was an important question, Dipper thought he barely knew him and yet he felt like he knew what he would like to do better than himself? His answer could tell Bill just what the other thought about this persona he had created.**

"I don't know," he said honestly. "But you're the person who was calm and level-headed while dealing with a ghost. Who was eager to see trolls. Who didn't bat an eye when I talked about demons and the end of the world. There's no way."

**Bill groaned. "Well, if you really aren't satisfied with my answer I'll give you another one. If I could have one day to do anything I'd spend it having sex with anyone that catches my eye. It would be non-stop since I wouldn't have to worry about refractory periods and other nuisances." Of course, the only reason why he changed his answer was that he wanted to see Dipper's reaction. He definitely wasn't thinking that Dipper would be one of his partners... "What about you?"**

Dipper snickered, covering his mouth. "Perfect teenage boy response," he murmured, eyes bright with his merriment. That was perfect, the exact ridiculous, amazing answer he was after. "I... I would explore, I guess. I'd learn everything. Find every creature. Lame, I know."

**"Aren't you already doing that though?" It was pretty lame. "We're talking about one day that you can use to achieve anything that would be impossible for you in any other day of your life, what's the point if you just do the same thing you're doing? Also, there are not enough hours in a day for you to find** **_every creature_ ** **, I'm sure."**

"There is if I can do anything," he pointed out. ".. Fine. One day to do anything... I'd have a conversation with someone. Learn some things about him."

**"Interesting..." Bill wondered if he meant him or someone else. "Your turn by the way." He gently punched the other's shoulder.**

"Is it, I've lost track in the mess we made of the past few questions." He laughed a little. "Okay... What's your favorite song?"

**"Why do you have to make all the hard questions, Pines." His favorite song was We'll Meet Again by Vera Lynn, but he didn't think to answer that would be a good idea if Ford had told Dipper he had sung that to him... "Dream a Little Dream of Me."**

"It's not that hard," he laughed softly, opening his eyes to smile charmingly up at Will. "Huh.. that sounds nice. Your turn."

**"Who's the someone you'd like to have a conversation with, in the day when anything is possible?" Of course, had had to ask.**

"Bill." The answer was calm, simple. "I'd want a conversation where he couldn't lie, or leave, or use magic. So that I can have some answers."

**Bill chuckled a little.** **_You're already getting that kid... Well, except I'm still lying to you._ ** **"You'd really want a conversation with a demon that almost destroyed your family? Wow... You're a bit of a masochist, aren't you?"**

Dipper half shrugged, the smile falling. "I just... I want to know why. If he can't lie, the conversation would last about three minutes, and I could send him back to wherever the fuck he is now."

**"Isn't he dead? If you could have a conversation with him right now, would you ditch me for him?" Bill sighed and shook his head. "You know what? Nevermind, this game was supposed to take your mind off that guy, demon, whatever... For someone you hate, you sure like to talk about him." Bill wiggled his eyebrows a little. "Just... your turn."**

"Yes. No, I wouldn't." Dipper sat up, shaking his head. "I don't hate him. To hate someone, you have to be emotionally invested in them. I want an answer. There's a difference." He firmly focused his eyes forward. "What are your parents' names?"

**"I just think that there's no point you even ponder the idea of getting an answer, you'll save yourself the disappointment." Bill decided to lay down once again, but he laid on his side, giving his back to Dipper. "David and Elisa." He said after letting out a long sigh. He couldn't pronounce the names of his real parents in any human language, so it was literally impossible for him to say the truth.**

"It's completely hypothetical, Will. If I never see him again, it would be too soon. I can go my entire life and never have another thought about Bill fucking Cipher and wouldn't lose any sleep. Your turn."

**"Right." Bill hated this conversation, part of him wanted to get Dipper's mind out of... well** **_him_ ** **because it was dangerous if he started making connections, but another part wanted to hear everything the human felt about him... even if it pissed him off. "Are you interested in something other than the mysteries of Gravity Falls? For example, are you interested in someone right now? A person, human, if possible."**

He shrugged a little, trying to relax again. There was no reason to take anything out on Will, it wasn't his fault. He didn't do anything wrong. "Um... I was dating that guy, remember? But I'm pretty free now." No need to go into the possible developing crush on the man behind him. "If you could be any animal, what would you be?"

**“Yes, I know, I was just wondering if you were interested in someone else since you clearly don’t seem to be interested in him anymore,” Bill explained and then thought for a long moment as his gaze moved across the room, taking in all the details that were different now. “Probably a bird,” He replied after a moment. “What’s your favorite season?”**

"Not really," he hummed, pretty neutral. Not technically a lie, since he wasn't sure enough about his feelings to comment. "Hmm... Fall. What's your favorite book?"

**“1984.” That actually hadn’t been that hard, he hadn’t properly read a lot of human books -for most, he had simply sort of absorbed them for people that had read them-, but that one he had and had really enjoyed it. “Do you trust me?”**

“Yes.” And he did, surprisingly. He wasn’t young anymore, his trust didn’t mean you could get away with anything or walk all over him... but he trusted Will. “Do you trust  _ me _ ?”

**“I think I do, kid.” Bill smiled a little to himself and then he turned around to face the other man once again. His whole story had worked even on the paranoid Dipper Pines... that was great.**

Dipper nodded a little. “... Your turn to ask a question,” he said softly.

**“I don’t know what else to ask you.” Bill murmured and moved closer, then closed his eyes. “And if I’m honest I’m a bit tired.”**

Dipper paused, before smiling fondly, reaching out to gently brush his fingers through Will’s hair- careful not to touch the eyepatch. “Sleep, then.”

**Bill closed his eyes and yawned a little. “Anything else you want to ask me before I fall asleep and lose all your chances?” The former demon wondered.**

Dipper paused, chuckling a little as he continued to play with the soft yellow strands. “Are you human?” He asked, mostly teasing, thought a tiny part of him wondered.

**Bill hadn’t realized just how tired he was and by the time Dipper asked his question he was almost fully asleep. He was awake enough to mumble a little ‘no’ though, but he really hadn’t meant to say it.**

Dipper froze. Oh...  _ oh, _ he had not expected that. “Yeah?” He murmured, not quite sure if he was completely asleep. “What are you, Will?”

**The demon** **_was_ ** **completely asleep when Dipper asked the other question, so he didn’t answer, instead, he moved closer to the other, throwing a leg over the human’s. He let out a soft snore.**

Dipper shifted a little, unable -and unwilling- to stop the smile spreading across his face. It didn’t matter right then. Will was his friend. They’d figure it out.

* * *

## 

**Bill had another dream that involved Dipper. This time they were in the goods and the human was the one that started everything. They didn’t kiss, they just fucked, hard and rough, just like Bill liked it too.**

It was still pretty early, for him, so Dipper didn’t sleep for a while, reading one of the books next to his bed.  It was a few hours before he shifted to lay down next to Will and dozed off. His dream was peaceful, just them, out in the woods.

**Bill woke up with an annoying morning wood and a brief feeling of not knowing where he was. Soon though, the body next to his became more familiar and he realized he was in Pine Tree’s room still. He had fallen asleep there. Shit.**

Dipper was still asleep, peacefully tucked against Bill with an arm around his waist and one-legged tangled with his. His breathing was soft and steady, nuzzled against his shoulder slightly.

**Bill wasn’t sure about what to do... the right thing would be to try and wake him up or just try to get out of the bed without waking people up but... there was always the more fun and sort of evil option. Bill closed his eyes to pretend he was still asleep and started rubbing against Dipper’s leg.**

Dipper shifted a little, expression crossing into a slight frown before his eyes flickered open. For a moment, he had no idea how to react. However, he soon had a smirk, and lightly brushed a finger along Will’s hip. “Will...” he called softly.

**Bill continued to pretend he was asleep but let out a quiet moan. He wanted to see exactly what Dipper would do... so far He wasn’t pushing him away, that was interesting.**

Dipper’s smirk grew, and he lightly brushed his fingers through his hair. “I know you’re awake, Will,” he almost cooed. Shifting slightly, he rubbed his leg against him.

**Bill huffed a laugh and opened his eye a little, blinking lazily at Dipper. "How could you tell?" He was surprised that the other wasn't angry, but hey, at least it meant he would be able to get some real release and not end up kicked out of the room.**

"I didn't." He grinned. "I guessed, thanks for proving me right." He pressed his knee up against him a little firmer. "Problem, Will?"

**Bill moaned again and closed his eye for a second, then nodded. "Kinda hard not to notice, huh?" He said and smirked. "Wanna help me with that, Pines?"**

“Are you asking?” He murmured, slowly bringing his fingers under his shirt to slide along his back.

**“Forcing you wouldn’t be right, would it?” Bill moved away a little and sneaked a hand under Dipper’s shirt. “Though if you refuse you’ll end up regretting it.” He laughed.**

"I don't feel forced," he assured, and in a moment he was pinning Will under him, keeping him pressed against the bed and slowly grinding his knee against him.

**“That’s what I’m talking about.” Bill grinned and pulled up Dipper’s shirt, wanting to get rid of it. He moaned at the friction and met Pine Tree’s movements with his own.**

Dipper grinned, continuing to teasingly move against him as he sat back to pull his shirt over his head.

**Bill placed his hands on Dipper’s waist to keep him from moving away and just thrust against him for a few seconds before going to unzip the other’s jeans. He couldn’t believe they had fallen asleep wearing jeans, it was so uncomfortable.**

Dipper chuckled softly, catching his hands and pinning them over his head. "Don't move," he purred softly, pulling back slowly and unzipping Will's jeans to slowly pull them down.

**Bill raised an eyebrow. “Like to take control, huh?” He didn’t mind, he wouldn’t admit it, being who he was, but he definitely liked it... This time he would let the other enjoy being in control, maybe next time he could show him he wasn’t so easily tamed though.**

"Once in a while," he agreed, smirking faintly as he dropped Will's pants over the side of the bed. Lightly, slowly, he dragged his fingers over the inside of his thighs, stopping just short of the fabric of his underwear.

**“Don’t tease, kid, you really don’t want to see me mad,” Bill said, but he was grinning, he really enjoyed it. It was rare for others to cross this kind of limits with him, everyone was too afraid, but Dipper had no idea who he was and the demon was able to see the human’s true self.**

"But teasing is the best part," Dipper hummed, slowly tugging down the fabric. Once he had them off, though, he paused, glancing up at Will with soft eyes. "How far do you want to go?"

**Bill pulled Dipper down and whispered in his ear. “Surprise me, Pines.” Then let him go and put his arms over his head once again.**

Dipper chuckled softly, nuzzling against his neck. "Alright. Let me know if you want me to stop," he purred, before licking his way down Will's neck to bite into his shoulder.

**Bill closed his eyes and moaned as he exposed his neck a little bit more to give the other better access. It was a lot like his dream, his subconscious really knew Dipper Pines, didn’t it?**

Dipper worked the skin between his teeth a little, sucking softly until he was satisfied with the bruise he had left behind. Pulling back, he continued to trail nips and kisses down his chest.

**Bill was getting a little impatient, but he wasn’t going to rush Pine Tree, he could wait and enjoy the ride... It was something new and he was always up for new things. “You don’t need to be so gentle with me.” He told him after a moment.**

"Hmm. I know. I just like taking my time," he murmured, smirking a little before ducking his head and swallowing Will down in one motion.

**“Oh fuck-” Bill arched on the bed and closed his eyes, throwing his head back. Being in a physical body made this feel so much better! He had forgotten how amazing it was, how different it felt when someone else was the one giving you pleasure.**

Dipper hummed happily, slowly bobbing his head and teasing at the slit. He loved this, loved it when someone went to pieces under him, lost in pleasure because of what he did.

**It was obvious now that Dipper wasn’t the awkward kid he had met ten years ago. While Bill hated missing so much time, he definitely didn’t mind being stuck with this Pine Tree.**

Dipper pulled off slowly, getting his fingers suitably wet. He quickly went back to work, gently brushing his finger against his entrance.

**Bill was too lost in the pleasure to notice what the other was doing. Seeing Pine Tree go down on him like that, his eyes fixed on his own... it was an amazing sight. The former demon moved a hand to the other’s head and followed his movements, making him go a little bit faster**

Dipper groaned a little, sucking firmly. He was careful, though, making sure he wasn’t too rough or pushed too hard- he didn’t want Will finishing yet. Slowly, he slid a finger inside him.

**Bill welcomed the mild burn when Dipper's finger slip inside his body. It felt nice, though he was also grateful that the other was being careful, since he wasn't sure how much pain would be too much pain and no pleasure, at least not for this body, he still wasn't sure about the limits.**

Dipper pulled off slowly, carefully adding a second finger. A momentary pause before he pressed in a little deeper, searching, and lightly brushed against his prostate.

**"Nhg... Keep going." Bill encouraged the other and closed his eyes again. He still couldn't believe this was really happening, if somebody had told him that somedays Dipper Pines would willingly have sex with him he would definitely have told them they were more insane than he was. Bill spread his legs a bit more and tried to relax so that it would be easier for Dipper to work on stretching him out.**

“Shh,” Dipper hummed, continuing to thrust his fingers slowly, opening him up carefully and balancing the burn with steady brushes against the sensitive bundle of nerves. After a while, a third finger was added.

**With each brush to his prostate, Bill let out a moan and fought the need to move and get Dipper to go faster. He was supposed to let the other control the situation, he needed to be patient, no matter how difficult it was for him at the moment.**

Without warning, Dipper dropped down to take Will’s cock in his mouth again, thrusting his fingers more quickly. He just really couldn’t wait anymore.

**“Aaah- y-Yes- Pine-s.” Bill was surprised by his control, actually stopping himself from calling the other Pine Tree when he was as out of it as he was. He was close too, really close.**

Dipper glanced up at him, smirking a little. Focusing again, he lowered his head until the tip hit the back of his throat, swallowing around him.

**"Oh- oh- f-fuck..." Bill was having a hard time keeping his orgasm at bay, but he didn't want to come like this! Dipper had already stretched him out and now he** **_needed_ ** **to go all the way. The former demon grabbed Dipper's arm and pulled him up. "You better fuck me." He told him in between taking gulps of air and then he went to attack his neck, wanting to leave a few marks of his own.**

Dipper groaned, tipping his head slightly to make it easier for him. “Well, since you’re asking so nicely,” he teased, pulling away with a smirk. Carefully pulling his fingers out, he grabbed a condom before lining up with Will. After a moment, he pressed forward, thrusting inside.

**Bill groaned and closed his eyes, throwing his head back a little. It was the perfect combination of pleasure and pain because Dipper hadn't used lube. The former demon loved it. "Come on, don't hold back." He wanted to come, even if it meant it would be a quick fuck, he wanted Pine Tree to give him everything he had.**

Dipper waited a moment longer, making completely sure that Will wasn’t in too much pain- he’d already figured out he liked  _ some. _ Satisfied, he pulled out slowly, before slamming forward, setting up a brutal pace.

**Bill had no other choice but to hold on for the ride, but he didn't mind, Dipper was** **_incredible_ ** **a lot better than he had expected he would ever be. The demon could see them doing this a lot in the future, at least until the truth was out.**

Dipper ducked down, nearly pressing their bodies together as he thrust firmly. Shifting a little to aim at his prostate, he bit into his throat again.

**Bill couldn't hold back his orgasm for another second, so he let go, coming between their bodies, probably making a mess. He had no idea who was in the shack at the moment and he didn't think Dipper would be happy if he got anyone else's attention, so to muffle his moans he bit down on the human's neck. A little too hard though... His teeth were still sharper than normal human teeth and the second he felt the blood in his mouth he realized he had gone too far. But oh well, nothing he could do now, right? Might as well not let it go to waste.**

Dipper thrust forward a few more times after Will came before he also came, biting his lip to muffle the cry. His hold body jerked, thrusting into him again  _ hard _ as sharp teeth broke the skin and warm blood flooded over the other's tongue. He shivered a little, gasping, "Will..."

**Bill hadn't considered using this method to get his energy before because he felt like it would be impossible, but it was by far the best way. He could feel the power burst through his body, making him feel more alive than ever. He didn't let himself drink much though, because well... Dipper had trusted him so far and this could change things. The demon pulled away and licked the other's neck one more time, which made the bleeding stop. He looked away and didn't say anything.**

Dipper moved back quickly, raising a hand to his neck for a moment. Slowly, carefully, he pulled out, getting rid of the condom and calming his breathing. "... Are you okay?" He asked quietly, getting some kleenex to clean them up gently.

**Bill took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm more than okay." He glanced at Dipper and gave him a cocky smile. "Gotta be honest, I wasn't expecting you to be so good." He wasn't going to acknowledge the bite, maybe the other hadn't realized how hard he had bitten anyway.**

Dipper chuckled, rubbing his neck again. Jesus, that still stung. Humming softly, he dropped down to lay next to Bill. "I didn't expect you to drink my blood, a warning would have been nice." He was only partly teasing, smirking faintly.

**"Oh..." Bill bit his lip. So he had noticed... "I wasn't planning to either, I just... bit too hard." The demon looked up at the ceiling and threw his arms over his head. "Guess I should apologize."**

Dipper nodded a little, settling down better. "... Are you a vampire?" He asked simply, glancing at him from out of the corner of his eye.

**Hmm... That was a good way to explain it, sure, he could go with it. "Maybe... Does that scare you, Pines?" The demon asked, still not looking at the other guy.**

"No. But Mabel is going to be jealous, she's wanted a vampire boyfriend for years," he said, chuckling faintly. Interesting, that explained a little bit... And now he knew, his suspicions were confirmed. "I never really thought you were human, to begin with."

**"I imagined you weren't convinced... You're way too paranoid for your own good." He huffed a laugh and moved to a sitting position. "But... look, this was fun but... Boyfriend?" He raised an eyebrow.**

"It's not paranoia if you're right," he chuckled, opening his eyes to look up at Will. "... Ah, shit, I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't calling you my boyfriend," he assured.

**"Huh, good, I'm not made for that kind of thing, kid." Bill stretched a little and grabbed his underwear, starting to put on his clothes. Damn, he was really hungry now and he definitely needed a shower... "You do taste good though."**

"I can understand that," he murmured, sitting up as well and starting to get dressed as well. Pausing, he laughed a little. "Um... Thank you?"

**"Maybe some other day I can have a bit more?" The line had already been crossed, so why not keep at it? Dipper's blood made him feel ten times better than what he had taken from the trolls and the ghost.**

Dipper hesitated before offering a tiny smile. "Oh... yeah, sure. Let me know when you need it.."

**Bill grinned and stood up from the bed. He turned around and leaned forward to peck Dipper's lips. "You're the best." He murmured and then grabbed his shirt, put it on and headed out of the room, to the bathroom.**

Dipper blushed faintly, returning the kiss. "Thanks," he said quietly, watching him go before the smile slipped and he touched the bitemark once more. Sighing faintly, he finished getting ready before leaving the room.

**Well, that had gone perfectly, now he had a better and willing source of energy and he also got to enjoy more aspects of having a physical body. What else could he ask for? Bill took a quick shower and changed into some clean clothes before going to the kitchen for breakfast.**

Dipper was in way over his head. Sex was one thing, he’d had plenty of one night stands with strangers and it never bothered him. This... this was  _ Will, _ who he genuinely liked and cared about. And while he had just brushed it off like no big deal... Dipper wasn’t sure he could do the same. And if that wasn’t enough, he was also a fucking  _ vampire _ . That was just... he didn’t know what to think, he had so many questions and he couldn’t think of how to start. Sighing faintly, he went to shower, heading downstairs afterward.

**The demon had learned to prepare a basic breakfast so he did that, making pancakes and coffee for him and Dipper. That was the least he could do for the kid after he had given him his blood, right? It was just because of that... no other reason why he was trying to take care of him.**

Dipper paused just outside the kitchen, taking a deep breath and plastering on his smile before coming in. “Oh, thanks,” he hummed.

**“No need to thank me.” The demon placed a plate full of pancakes in front of Dipper’s seat and poured him a mug of coffee. “So... you’re not going to go around telling everyone what you’ve learned about me, right? He asked as he sat down.**

Dipper huffed, rolling his eyes. “Jesus, Will, I have a little more tact than that,” he pointed out, taking a bite.

**Bill smiled a little and took a sip of his coffee. “Just making sure.” He said once he had swallowed. “I really don’t want to end up in the street if your grunkle isn’t too fond of having a vampire working for him.”**

“Stan wouldn’t care that much,” he said simply. “He’d probably turn you into a display though.” Falling silent, he returned to his breakfast.

**Bill shivered a little and shook his head. “No thanks...” He focused back on his breakfast, not noticing the other’s mood because he was too happy himself to notice.**

“Alright then,” he grinned weakly, turning back to his breakfast and finishing quickly. “You get the day off today.”

**Bill raised an eyebrow and glanced back at Dipper. “What? Not that I’m complaining, but... why..?” He felt like there had to be a catch.**

“Cause you get a couple? You haven’t had one since you started.” He frowned a little, standing up.

**“Huh, I... didn’t know that.” Bill was still a little confused about how human job worked. “Great.” He grinned and finished his pancakes before standing up. “I’ll see you later then, I think I’m going to go into town.”**

Dipper chuckled before nodding. “Alright. Have a nice day.” He too the dishes to the sink before heading into the store.

* * *

 

**Bill had no other way to go into town than walking, but he didn’t mind so he just did that. It was good exercise, right? By the time he made it there he was a little bit tired but all in all, it wasn’t terrible. He decided to meet the tailor he had been told about to check how much a nice suit like the one he wanted would cost him.**

The tailor greeted him with a warm smile and a request for what he especially wanted. Once done, he started walking Bill through the steps, having him pick fabrics and colors.

**Bill had a ton of fun and when the other told him how much it would be he was surprised to find out it wouldn’t be as expensive as he had first thought. He paid half of it in advance and left, decided to walk around town for a little while longer before returning to the Shack**

“Hey Will!” A voice called, Mabel dashing forward and throwing an arm around him.

**“Oh!” Bill was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the other Pines twin and he almost lost his balance. “Hey, sh- Mabel. Anything you need?”**

Mabel tightened her arm, making sure that he didn't go anywhere from the force of her hug. "Nope, just thought I'd say hi! I never see you unless you're in the store or with Dipper, after all."

**“Right, yes, well I have the day free today.” Bill tried to pull away from the hug but Mabel was strong and he was worried about hurting her if he managed to get away.**

Mabel caught on, of course. She had greatly improved in her reading for verbal queues, and willingly let go once she knew that Will didn't want one. "What are you doing with your day off?"

**“I was just going to walk around town, maybe have lunch here and then head back to the shack.” He had found out that he preferred to be in Dipper’s company instead of being alone... it didn’t worry him so much, even ten years ago he had been a bit obsessed with the kid.**

"Do you want to join me and my friends?" She offered, gesturing to the handful of boys and girls and boys behind her.

**Bill made a face and shook his head. “Tempting but... I really just rather be on my own, get a break from people, working at the Mystery Shack is exhausting.”**

Mabel nodded a little, reaching out and gently squeezing his hand. “Alright, we’ll be around if you change your mind. Or if you want a ride home.” She smiled, letting go and skipping off to her friends.

**Mmm... A ride back would be nice, but he had no idea when Mabel was planning to head back. Well, he would eat something and check with her later if they were leaving, if they weren't he would just walk all the way back again.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let us know what you think of the story so far in the comments!


	7. That'a Not How Relationships Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ford is back. Dipper and Bill finally talk about what happened.

**The rest of the week went as usual for Bill. He worked at the shack, sneaked a couple times into Ford’s room -luckily they hadn’t fixed the lock yet-, tried to find it more about getting his power back... all in all things were okay. Except maybe they weren’t? He wasn’t sure but he had the feeling Dipper had been avoiding him in the last couple of days, which sucked because now that he had tasted the kid’s blood he was dying to drink it again. Finally, he got tired of the silent treatment and decided to confront him that Saturday night. Once he had closed the Shack, he headed to Dipper’s room and knocked hard. He knew Mabel was out so she wouldn’t interrupt them.**

Dipper was carefully avoiding Will, keeping just enough contact between them so that it wasn’t too obvious. He just... didn’t know what to do now. There were feelings he didn’t want to deal with and moments when he felt like he was drowning, but there was nothing he could do. So distance was his only option, really. Until he got over the stupid feelings he was dealing with. Jumping slightly, he slammed the journal shut and stood, walking over  to the door to open it. “Oh. Hey, Will. What can I do for you?”

**Bill narrowed his eyes at the other and let himself into the room. “You’ve been avoiding me.” He told him. It was incredible how much taking Dipper’s blood has affected him, to the point that now he was feeling withdrawal. He had bags under his eyes and felt tired despite having slept well. It sucked. “Why? What did I do?” Dipper had made it seem like everything was okay the other day! He was pissed because now he felt like he had been lying to him and he hated when others thought they could lie to him.**

Dipper backed up quickly, letting him in and shoving his hands in his pockets. "I haven't been avoiding you," he said quickly, really looking at Will for the first time since that night. God, he looked  _ awful, _ like he hadn't been sleeping and was starting to fall apart. Instantly, Dipper felt bad, even if he wasn't sure it was his fault. "Hey.. Are you okay?" He asked gently, moving closer. Issues or not, he wasn't going to abandon Will when he looked like he really needed help.

**“I’m fine... I guess this is what happens when you start relying on human blood again and you can’t get your fix.” Bill had never tried getting energy like this before, at least not when he** **_needed_ ** **it like he did now when he had his powers drinking blood and taking energy from others was just for fun, but now? Maybe bitting Dipper hasn’t been a good idea, he had been better before his body got a taste.**

Dipper winced, clearing his throat a little and squaring his shoulders. "Well then... We should fix that." He had promised, after all, and he really did want to help. Will shouldn't have to suffer because Dipper's stupid feelings wanted something a little different out of the relationship between them. Reaching out, he carefully took Will's hand and pulled him to the bed, having him sit and taking a place next to him. "Is there, like... a preferred spot or can I just..." He held up his wrist slightly.

**Bill looked at the wrist and then at Dipper’s eyes and then grabbed the other’s hand and pulled it to his mouth. He bit down hard and moaned a little at the taste of fresh blood. He closed his eyes as he drank. Behind his eyepatch, the yellow triangle on his eyelid glowed a little. The change was almost instantaneous, the bags went away, Bill’s hair recovered its usual glow and the demon felt a lot better once again. He actually felt so good that he tried to see through his all-seeing eye and this time he could! Through the eye on the attic’s window, he saw a car park by the shack and a familiar figure get out. Sixer was back.**

**Bill let go of Dipper and froze.**

Dipper instantly tensed, curling his free hand into the blanket under him. His breathing was already a bit shaky and shallow, eyes closed tightly as sharp teeth pierced pale skin. He couldn't even really think about how Will was doing, so focused on staying still, not reacting to the pain or the sudden intense urge to fight his way free. Time didn't seem to mean anything right then; Will could have been drinking from him for seconds, or minutes. Completely unsure of how much blood he had actually lost, Dipper quickly drew his arm back to his chest, everything a little hazy as he fumbled with the first aid kit under his bed and tightly wrapped the gauze around his wrist.

**Bill only came back to himself when he noticed the other wrapping the bandage around his arm. “Shit. Sorry.” He hadn’t finished it right, it was still bleeding. “Let me.” The demon grabbed Dipper’s arm and made the bite simply go away. Sure, he used a bit of energy, but he had plenty to go around now and he didn’t want Ford to see the bite and ask questions. “You should lay down for a couple of minutes.” Bill told the other and he stood up from the bed, walking to the window. What he had seen was real, Stanford was finally back. “I think your other uncle is finally home.”**

Dipper flinched just a little, even as he held his arm out- it was completely instinctual. "Oh.. thanks," he mumbled, sinking back onto the bed and just watching him for a moment. He was sure he'd be fine, after a little bit; Will couldn't have taken  _ that _ much, could he? Almost on command, he slipped sideways, dragging his legs up onto the bed and curling up into a ball. "Hey... that's pretty cool, now we can get the lock on our lab replaced," he said quietly, cradling his arm against his chest. ".. Will?"

**Of course, Pine Tree would be excited, he loved Ford, but now Bill had to figure out how the hell would ever get into the lab or Ford’s room again. The demon was glaring at the window, but when Dipper called him he looked over his shoulder with a smile, no hint of anger or frustration on his face. “Yeah, kid?” He asked and walked closer to the bed.**

He was quiet for a moment longer, before shifting just enough to meet Will's eyes. "How often do you need to feed?" He asked quietly, wanting to understand, to prepare himself a bit more for this. Also, so it never came to this; to Will storming into his room looking like death.

**“A little Everyday is the best, that way I don’t have to leave you laying down again.” Bill sat next to the human and smiled down at him an almost predatory look on his face. He could tell that if he wanted, he would be able to take as much advantage of Dipper as he wanted now, he was too weak to fight back... Then again, Bill never liked things to be easy, challenges were the best. He caressed Dipper’s cheek gently. “Sorry I took so much, kid.”**

Dipper shrugged a little, shivering under the predatory gaze. Maybe this was a mistake.. actually, this was certainly a mistake. He should never have let his guard down this much, no matter who it was. He should have put a stop to it before Will ever took as much as he did. Now he was on edge, practically shaking as he curled up in his bed- he had said he was never going to do this. He was never going to be as weak as he used to be when it was easy for monsters to walk all over him. "It's fine," he whispered, flinching a little.

**Bill frowned a bit and stood up. He wasn’t sure why, but it bothered him that Dipper seemed afraid of him now. Something was wrong with him, he had gone soft. “Hey, I’m not going to hurt you.” He reassured the other and walked to the window once again, putting some distance between them. “Is this why you’ve been avoiding me? Are you afraid of the big bad wolf, Dipper Pines?”**

Dipper sighed a little, shaking his head as he drew his blanket up around his shoulders. Calm. He needed to relax, he had been trusting Will for a while now, and things were fine.  _ Fine. _ "No," he said quietly, smiling just a little when he heard the door slam shut behind Ford. "Just afraid of getting attached to him."

**Bill’s expression changed and he looked away. “Oh... I see. Yes, you definitely don’t want to do that.” The demon knew he was telling the other that mostly because of his own sake. If circumstances were different he would have played along, gotten Dipper even closer to him so that he could crush his heart eventually... it was a good plan... if it weren’t because the demon could tell he was starting to have a weak spot for the human. “What would grunkle Ford say?” He said, huffing a bitter laugh.**

"Maybe I want to though, he just won't let me," Dipper countered, voice soft and gentle as he watched Will's back. He was already starting to feel better, which was nice; his thoughts were clear and his own as he made his argument quite simple. Will liked him, he could tell, see it in the smiles he tried to hide and the looks he covered up. In the way, he turned away right now. "He'd say... that attachment gets people killed."

**“Well, I’m sure he has experience with that.” Bill had his normal eye closed and behind his eyepatch his all-seeing eye was following Ford around the house, trying to figure out of the old man had already noticed something was off. “You don’t know a thing about me, kid, you can’t know what you want.”**

"Maybe." He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes a little. Less dizzy, that was good. Looks like Will only took about as much as the blood drive did. "Maybe I'd learn a lot faster if you let me get to know you," he pointed out, standing slowly. A little shaky, but not too bad. "You've been trying to get me to trust you since you first arrived. And I do, a lot, but it goes both ways."

Ford had discovered the broken lock by this point. "Dipper!" He called. 

"Coming!" He yelled back, still watching Will for a few more moments before turning and heading down the stairs.

**Bill opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder once Dipper left the room. He knew he was getting into dangerous territory and should be glad that Dipper had left, but... if he had stayed for a little longer maybe he would have given in, maybe a little. Bill rubbed his eyes, taking off the eyepatch for a brief moment, he opened the triangular window and jumped out of the shack. He needed some time alone and he wasn’t sure he wanted to be around while Dipper explained to Ford what had happened while he was gone. He headed to the woods.**

  
  


Ford was relatively understanding when Dipper explained what had happened to the door, how they had tried but it took longer than it should have to get the ghost contained, and in the end, they needed the mirror in his room anyway. "I just didn't want to get a new lock until you got back," he finished. "Since we share the lab."

"Hm.. right. Well, we better head into town then, fix it now."

Dipper nodded, following him out. Will would be fine, right? They wouldn't be gone long, and he could always call him

**Bill heard Ford’s car leave the premises and decided to go back to the shack since it seemed he would have to be looking over his shoulder that soon. He wasn’t surprised to find Pine Tree was gone as well. The demon headed to his room and sat on the bed, legs crossed. He closed his eyes and tried to follow the Pines. He had eye etched all over town so it wasn’t so hard.**

**“So, this guy Stanley hired, William... are you sure we can trust him around the Mystery Shack?” Ford asked once they were almost into the town.**

Dipper turned his attention from out the window to focus on Ford again, thinking about it for a second. "Yes," he answered, smiling a little as he glanced out the window again. "I... I think we can. He hasn't really done anything, so far... Except save my life."

**Ford nodded and thought for a moment before saying something. “Alright, if you trust him then I’ll try too as well. I just... it’s difficult to trust someone with** **_his_ ** **name, but I can’t judge a book by its cover.” Dipper had learned a lot over the years, Ford knew that he didn’t trust people easily.**

"Yeah, I know it is..." He agreed, fiddling with his hands in his lap. "But so far, I don't have a reason not to trust him. And I've been careful, kept my guard up. I know better than to let people in." His voice had quieted, lost some of the emotion in it.

**“Good. I mean, even if Bill Cipher would never use his full name, you can never be too careful.” Still, Ford was sure he could trust his nephew and Bill would never be so stupid to decide to stay at their place if by some miracle he managed to come back. Ford glanced at Dipper, once he had parked, and frowned a little. He noticed something was bothering him. “What is it? You’re unusually quiet, you always bombard me with questions when I get back from a trip.”**

Dipper nodded. "Exactly. I don't think he'd be that dumb." Then again... he could use that against them. Quickly, he shook the thought from his head- he didn't have the time or the energy to think about it right then, he had his own problems. Jumping slightly, he quickly plastered a grin on his face and nodded. "Yeah, I'm just fine," he lied easily, reaching out to grab the door handle. "Just tired, I guess. Tell me about your trip, how was it? Did you find what you were looking for?"

**Ford wasn’t convinced, but he supposed that if his nephew wanted to talk or needed his advice or help with something he would eventually ask for it when he was ready. For now, he would let him be.**

**Ford got out of the car and walked alongside Dipper to the store. “Unfortunately no, vampires are a lot harder to come across than I first thought.”**

Dipper almost froze. "You were looking for vampires? I didn't know that; what do you know about them?" He asked quickly, to cover up his momentary slip. "And why were you looking for one in the first place?" He pulled open the door, letting Ford into the store first and following him quickly.

**“Not much really, I was hoping to learn more... Think of how much they could help in the medical field, Dipper, their saliva has incredible coagulant and anticoagulant properties.” The man explained. “But I guess I’ll have to wait, I’d have stayed on the road longer but I’m getting old.” He huffed a laugh. “And I missed home.”**

Dipper nodded a little, running his thumb along his wrist for just a moment. Yeah, they did... Pausing, he smiled a little. "We missed you, too," he hummed, looking around to try and pick a lock. "What were you going to do if you found one, though? Think they would have just helped you if you asked?"

**“I’m not sure, there’s a lot of lore about vampires, can’t tell for sure what’s real and what isn’t.” Ford was hoping they would be nice, but he wasn’t getting his hopes up, it was usually said that their powers came from demons after all.**

"True, true," he agreed, nodding a little. Will was nice, after all... but that didn't mean any others were. And that didn't mean that Ford wouldn't try and attack him, especially when he found out about Dipper's agreement to let the vampire drink from him.

**“And all the questions I have will remain unanswered for longer than I thought it seems.” Ford sighed and focused on getting the lock they needed, forgetting about his failed trip for a moment. Once they had everything they needed, both adventurers headed back to the shack.**

"Come one, Ford, we all know that you'll get them answered soon," Dipper grinned, trying to cheer him up a bit as they paid for the lock and headed home again. Heading inside the Shack, he took the lock from Ford and grabbed a toolbox to fix the door.

**“You got that, right, Dipper?” I want to check that everything is in order down in the lab.” Ford had doubts about the new guy still, so he wanted to make sure nobody had been sneaking into the lab while he wasn’t there.**

"Yeah, don't worry, Ford. I can handle this." He propped the door open, letting him down into the lab so he could work. That was fair, wanting to make sure everything was alright. Dipper wouldn't have trusted anyone down there either.

**Once Bill saw Ford had gone downstairs, he got out of his room and went to meet Dipper. “Back already?” He asked, leaning against the wall as he watched the other work. “Where’s the old man?”**

Dipper glanced up, smiling a little at Will. "Yep, just had to pick up a new lock for the lab," he explained, the drill in his hand whirring to life as he removed the broken lock. "He's down in the lab."

**“Huh. Shame, I was looking forward to meeting him.” He wasn’t, Bill was still afraid that maybe Ford would recognize him the second he saw him, despite his new body. Ford knew him better than anyone if anyone could tell who he was that would be him.**

"He'll be back up soon enough," he hummed. "Hey, will you come over and hold the door still?" He asked, picking up the lock and lining it up.

**Bill sighed and walked closer to Dipper. He did as he was asked, holding the door without a problem. “Will you... tell him? About me? Us?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.**

"I haven't told him what you are yet," he said quietly. "And unless it comes up, I won't. But last I checked, you were pretty adamant that there  _ was _ no us. You don't trust me, remember?" He fell silent, brows furrowed as he drilled the screws into place.

**“There’s definitely something here, kid, just not what you think.” Dipper was letting him drink his blood if anything there was a relationship because of interest, a relationship that Bill wanted to continue.**

"Letting you drink my blood isn't a relationship, Will," he said firmly, setting the tools down and shutting the door to test it. Satisfied, he opened it again, not wanting to lock Ford in. "That's me not wanting you to suffer. But it's not an actual relationship."

**“There are all kinds of relationship, Pines, is more like... a business relationship I guess.” The demon grabbed Dipper’s wrist and pulled him closer, away from the door. “Besides, who said it only has to be about your blood? I remember you enjoyed yourself quite a lot the other morning.” Bill murmured and moved a hand down Dipper’s back, stopping just when he was about to get too low.**

"A business relationship also implies a couple things that aren't happening here, William," Dipper pointed out, stumbling a little as he was pulled forward. His breath caught, a shiver running down his spine, eyes widening. "That.. this..." What were words again? How did the English language work? He was... this was just much, he was too attracted and just... he  _ liked _ Will. "Don't," he whispered, shifting back slightly.

**"Not business then, maybe friends with benefits?" Bill pulled Dipper close again. He made sure to take in all the human's little non-verbal cues and he also kept his All-Seeing eye on the stairs that led down to the lab, in case Ford went back upstairs since he couldn't let him find them like this. "Don't ruin all the fun we were starting to have, come on..."**

"Will," he mumbled, cheeks flushed as he shook his head weakly. "You really don't understand what I'm trying to say here.

**"Enlighten me then." Bill's voice became a little bit more seductive and he leaned forward so that there was even less distance between them. It was incredible how he was the one pressed against the wall and yet he knew he had complete control over the situation, that Dipper was the one trapped. "And do it fast, I can hear your grunkle coming up already." He couldn't** **_hear_ ** **him, but he could see him.**

Dipper sucked in a shaky breath, trapped in his arms and by his gaze and the soft sound of his voice and the breath against his ear. God, he  _ wanted, _ he didn't want to say no, to stop this relationship that was starting between them. But... but he knew it would be better to do this now, instead of later. Quickly, he put his hands on Will's shoulders, keeping a little space between them. "I get attached," he said quickly, pointedly not looking at Will. "I get attached  _ easily, _ there's a reason my relationships are so limited, why I keep it to one-night stands and just a couple dates. It's dangerous for me, it's dangerous for you, and if we keep this up I'm  _ going _ to become attached to you, Will. And you don't want that. So it stops now." He took a deep breath. "I'm going for a walk, Ford! The lock is all set, I tested it already!" He called, nearly wrenching himself from Will's hold and instantly heading for the front door.

**Bill's expression changed as soon as Dipper turned around and couldn't see it. Under his eyepatch, his eye turned red and for a brief second his right hand was engulfed by blue flames. He made himself calm down fast though, too worried about ruining his cover. "Sure, if you say so." He couldn't leave the emotion out of his tone though, he was** **_really_ ** **angry and frustrated by the situation. Without giving Dipper time to reply or turn around again, the demon walked in the opposite direction, towards his assigned room, and locked himself inside.**

Dipper flinched, quite visible, shoulders hunching up protectively as he hurried out the door. It looked like rain, of course, it did, just had to match his mood, didn't it, he was probably going get  _ soaked _ \- He practically ran to the woods, needing a place of calm and quiet, were he could be on his own and wouldn't have to deal with strange feelings and a sexy  _ entirely-too-approachable _ vampire, or Ford's concerned look when he figured out that something was wrong. 

He stayed out the rest of the day, not even returning once night started to fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are enjoying this as much as me and NightWing18 enjoyed writing it, let us know in the comments!


	8. Ready to Make a Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No more hiding.

**Bill kept an eye on Dipper for a few hours but then he started to get tired, his eye hurting a little. He had been using too much of the energy he had gotten and he knew he needed to start saving up again. He stayed in his room until he got hungry and headed to the kitchen where he found Ford. It was late and Stan was probably asleep already. "Trying a new look, boss?" He asked, pretending he thought the old man was his brother, even though the differences were pretty obvious.**

Ford arched an eyebrow, leaning back in the kitchen chair. "Ah, you must be William," he said slowly, nodding a little as he swiped his eyes along the young man in front of him. "Stan's asleep, as I'm sure you know. I'm Ford."

**"Couldn't fool you... I guess you're just as impressive and Dipper makes you out to be." Bill grinned and went to get himself eggs and bacon from the fridge. He didn't know how to cook any elaborate dishes yet so he would have to conform himself with having breakfast for dinner.**

"You're welcome to the dinner I made that is sitting in the fridge waiting to be warmed up," Ford hummed, flipping open the paper in front of him. "But I suppose I am, depending on what he said."

**Bill glanced at the plate in the fridge and bit his lip. "No, thanks, Dipper should have that, once he comes back..." Bill looked out the window at the forest. The rain hadn't stopped, if anything it was even worse than when it had started. He hated the feeling but he was starting to get worried about his Pine Tree... And wow, when had he become his?!**

"There's enough for both of you," Ford assured, watching him over the edge of the paper. "I take it you also don't know where he is or when he plans on coming back. Interesting."

**"Why would I know?" Bill gave up and grabbed the plate. It was true that there was enough... He was just wary of eating something that Sixer had prepared. "He stormed out of the house, only said he was going for a walk." He wished he could stop worrying... Bill took a deep breath and focused on heating up his food.**

"Had a fight, did you?" Ford asked, humming faintly as he looked back down.

**"What makes you think that?" Bill glanced over his shoulder at Ford, but just a moment later his gaze was back on the window. He hated that again he couldn't see, at least, if he had been able to, he wouldn't be so anxious to know where Dipper was.**

Ford hummed a little. “Few reasons. The look on his face when you came up in the car. The fact that I heard you come into the room shortly before he stormed out. How worried you clearly are.”

**"I'm not worried." Bill spat out, one of his hands closed into a fist as he lowered his gaze to glare at the counter. He was glad he wasn't facing Ford now, he didn't want to see the other's face. Sixer had no idea who he was but he knew that if he did he would probably be enjoying seeing him like this, so... vulnerable.**

Ford arched an eyebrow again. “Right. Of course, you’re not. Clearly.” Sarcasm dripped off his tone. He was quiet for a few minutes longer before sighing softly and setting the paper down. “Well. It’s getting late, and the rain isn’t going to let up. Someone should make sure he’s not dead somewhere. Is it going to be me or you?”

**"I'm hungry," Bill said and grabbed his heated up food, then sat down by the kitchen table, in front of Ford. "He wouldn't want me to go looking for him anyway." He wasn't going to go, if Pine Tree had gotten himself in trouble if was his goddammed fault, he wasn't a kid anymore, after all.**

“He probably would, but that’s not the point,” Ford said, rising and moving to grab his coat. “I know him, he’ll stay out there until he is able to categorize, label, and then remove everything he’s feeling and can come back with that incredibly fake smile on his face again. And that might mean not coming back until tomorrow afternoon. Someone, at least, needs to check on him.” He picked up Dipper’s sweatshirt and grabbed a couple things from the cupboard. “I’ll be back soon.”

 **"Sure, don't tell him I say hi," Bill said, not looking up from the food he was eating. He was mad at Dipper, okay?** **At Dipper.** **He totally wasn't mad at himself for developing** **_feelings_ ** **of some sort. No, that wasn't Bill Cipher.**

**Bill tried to ignore most of his thoughts and focus on the food. It worked for a while. He finished everything, left the dirty dishes on the sink -he didn't feel like cleaning up after himself at the moment- and headed back to his room to try and sleep.**

"I will," Ford hummed, smirking a little as he flicked his collar up and headed out into the rain. It was hours before he returned-- alone.

**Bill couldn’t sleep, no matter how hard he tried he just couldn’t, too worried about the stupid kid. He was waiting for Ford by the door when the other got back and seeing him alone didn’t help make him feel better, at all. “So? Where is he?” He asked, trying to keep the emotion away from his voice.**

Ford shrugged a little. "He's out in the woods, where I said he was. He's more or less fine; said that he just wanted to go out and he found something, so now he can't come back right away. Which was a lie, but I gave him a coat and some food. So, he'll be fine for a while."

 **“In the rain.” Bill gave the old man a ‘are you serious?’ look and rolled his eyes -well, eye in Ford’s perspective-. He then walked past the human, not caring all that much about getting soaked, and went into the woods. He wasn’t going to let the sapling** **_die_ ** **, he still had plans for him.**

"Yes." Ford said simply, folding his arms over his chest. "He's built himself quite the warm, dry place, well hidden and off the ground. He's probably safer there then he is here. Especially now that he's armed." Still, he stepped out of his way and let Will go.

**For a second Bill thought Sixer was going to say ‘especially now that you’re here’, but he didn’t and the demon was able to breathe again. “Sure, Whatever, I’ll bring him back,” Bill shouted before stepping into the dark woods. How hard could it be to find Pine Tree, right? Bill knew this woods like the palm of his hand -Well, his old hand, he still didn’t know the new one all that much.**

"Good luck," Ford called, watching him leave.

Dipper was situated up a tree, munching on a granola bar and watching the bird- he had to call it a bird, even though he had never seen it before, with orange and blue wings and purple spots and were those _teeth_ inside his beak?- watching it walk along the little fort he had made in the crook of a couple branches. Safe and warm, mostly dry. And quiet. Things were quiet.

 **Bill knew where** **_not_ ** **to look for Pine Tree, so that ruled out one place. Still, he had plenty of the forest to cover... After about an hour of not finding him, he ended up giving in and tried to use his eye again. It hurt, damn, it hurt a lot, he couldn’t believe he was giving himself that kind of pain just for Dipper Pines -it wasn’t even the kind he enjoyed!-; but hey, it worked. Through one of the many etched eyes in the trees he spotted the guy and, after that, it only took him a few more minutes to find him. “Care to explain to me what’s wrong with you?” He called him to get his attention.**

Dipper popped his head out of his little fort, looking down at Will and smiling brightly; completely fake but throwing everything he had into keeping up the charade. "I found a new creature that I hadn't seen before. Nothing's wrong. See?" He scooped up the bird (?) carefully, holding it over the edge to show Will.

**Bill sighed and rubbed his eye. “Awesome, kid, now get down from there and let’s head back to the shack, you’re gonna get sick out here.” Bill was going to give him the chance to come down himself... but he wasn’t against climbing the tree and getting him down.**

Dipper arched an eyebrow, setting the bird down. "No? I've got things to do. And I don't work tomorrow, anyway, so it doesn't actually matter when I come back." He ducked his head back under his cover.

 **Bill practically growled. He was trying to be nice! He was** **_worried_ ** **about this stupid fleshbag, had come all the way here to get him to safety so that he wouldn’t get sick and he still refused? The only thing that wasn’t keeping him from setting something on fire was the fact that he was almost out of energy and whatever he tried to do made his eye ache. “Don’t make me get up there.”**

Dipper poked his head back out, smile falling into a tiny frown. "You don't look so good, Will?" He asked, voice rising in a question. "How about you _do_ come up here, take a break. It's really late and you're probably tired." Smiling again, something almost fragile and a little more real, he held out a hand. Will wouldn't be able to reach it, he'd have to climb a bit, but it was an offer anyway.

**The demon sighed and gave up, climbing the tree. He told himself he was just going to get Dipper down, nothing about staying the night in that place. “Why are you like this?” He said once he was by the other’s side and he rubbed his eyes, hissing a little when he touched the eyepatch. He really had gone too far.**

Dipper jumped a little at the hiss, shifting a little as he gently brushed his finger along the bird's head. "This is just how I am. I go out in the woods in the rain and don't sleep for days and find weird, cute little creatures and just... sit. I sit." Gently slowly, he reached out... brushing his fingers against his cheek, careful not to touch the eyepatch but resting against the skin just under it. "Can.. can I help?"

 **Bill shook his head and looked away, but didn’t get away from Dipper’s touch, surprisingly. “No, I’m fine.” Right now he wasn’t in the mood to be treated like some weak creature that needed help. Also, he knew that in the state he was -both physically and emotionally-, he was likely to end up drinking** **_way_ ** **too much of Dipper if he offered.**

"Okay," Dipper nodded, taking a deep breath and slowly moving his hand to cup his cheek, brushing his thumb along the skin just under the edge of the fabric. "Alright. If you're sure," he murmured, not moving from that place.

**No matter how gentle the touch was if still hurt and it showed on Bill’s face. The demon grabbed Dipper’s arm and pulled him away. “Leave it.” He told him, his tone final, before looking away again, to the bird Dipper had found. It wasn’t anything fantastic for Bill, but he knew they weren’t many of those in Gravity Falls.**

Dipper winced, drawing his arm back. "I'm sorry," he murmured, letting out a slightly shaky breath. He hadn't meant to hurt him, he never wanted to hurt him. He shifted back slightly, away, picking up the bird again and holding it close.

 **“You’re frustrating, you know that?” Bill sighed and closed his eyes. He let himself rest against the tree, arms crossed over his chest. “I was trying to be careful and then you... you did something to me and all of the sudden I’m careless, wasting all the energy I manage to collect on** **_you_ ** **, Dipper Pines of all people.”**

"I know I am." His voice was quiet as he watched Will, pulling his legs up to his chest as he continued to pet the bird. "Wasting your... what does that mean?"

**And... he had said too much. He kept making mistakes, didn’t he? “Nothing, forget about it.” He knew this was Dipper he was talking about, he wouldn’t just forget about it, but it didn’t hurt to try asking that, right?**

“No,” Dipper said simply. “No, I won’t just forget it. There is nothing you could say that would make me think any differently about you. So maybe, give me a straight fucking answer.”

**Bill shook his head and started laughing. At first, it was a quiet laugh, a laugh that could be expected of any normal person, but it didn’t stop after a moment like it should have. No, Bill continued to laugh, with every passing second he laughed louder to the point where it became maniacal. It was like something had snapped inside the demon like he couldn’t keep up with the act anymore. “Why are you always so awfully persistent, Pine Tree?” He asked between laughter.**

Dipper tensed the moment the laugh changed, pressing back into the farthest corner of his hideout. This... this was too much- and then he called him _Pine Tree_ and everything clicked into place with a force that made him scramble for the knife Ford had left for him. And then he froze, letting out a slow breath and setting it in his lap, taking his hands off. "Bill."

**“You’ve got some guts, kid, a knife, really?” Bill raised an eyebrow and smirked. He had finally managed to calm down his laughter. It made him feel better for some reason, knowing that he didn’t have to pretend anymore, not around Dipper at least. It also meant he could get rid of the eyepatch, which was really bothering him now because of how much his eye hurt. He did that, simply changing its place to cover the other eye.**

Dipper couldn’t help what happened next- and on further thought, he didn’t really want to stop it in the first place. In his head, Bill Cipher the demon, the triangle nightmare that ruined everything, and Will the human friend... it didn’t quite connect. He knew they were the same person, but looking at Will... well, it wasn’t stopping this feelings any-. So he moved forward, cupping his cheek without any thought. “Wow... no wonder you get headaches so often,” he whispered, almost soothing.

**Bill frowned a little. “Did that bird eat your brains through your ear?” They did that, but usually to dead animals. “It’s me, Bill Cipher? That dream demon you hate so much?” He didn’t understand why Dipper hadn’t tried pushing him down from the tree or used the knife. He was acting all tough but the truth was he knew it would do some damage in the state he was in.**

“Really? I would never have figured that out. It’s almost like you’re the only person ever that calls me Pine Tree,” he said sarcastically, still examining him. “It looks really red and irritated,” he continued like he hadn’t been interrupted. “I think you should leave the eyepatch off for a while, and probably stop using your powers. You have been using them, right? That’s why it hurts so much.”

**Bill glared at the human. “Your fault, you’re the one that decided to come into the forest in the middle of a storm.” Bill pulled away from Dipper’s touch. He couldn’t let the other get so close, he didn’t need a fleshbag to worry about him. Now that Dipper knew who he was he had to maintain his reputation. He was right about the eyepatch though. After a moment of glaring at the human, he decided to just close his eyes.**

“You’re the one that decided to follow me out here. I told Ford I was fine, and I would have been. See, we’re not even getting wet here,” Dipper pointed out, watching him carefully. Things were starting to make sense, now. “... you need energy to power it, right? That’s why the troll bit you. And why you’ve been drinking my blood.”

**Bill didn’t answer immediately. He was angry and didn’t want to give the human information, but eventually, he got tired of the silence. He had always liked to hear himself talk a bit too much. “Maybe.” He said and opened one eye to look at Dipper. “Feel used already?”**

Dipper arched an eyebrow. “I felt used before. This isn’t any different than how I felt when I knew you as Will instead.” He smirked a little. “I’m just not that concerned about what you’re doing.”

**Bill raised an eyebrow. “Really? You’re not worried I might start another apocalypse, kid? Why the sudden trust, huh?” He was starting to feel that maybe he had been right about the brain theory... He glanced at the bird again, checking for blood on its beak.**

“It’s not about trust,” Dipper hummed a little, smiling. “It’s about how limited your options are right now. You’re pretty much out of energy. So, it’s either go back to trying to siphon it out of small creatures- which I’ll figure out and if they start dying I’ll stop you- or continue drinking my blood. It would be really easy to put a stop to that.” He paused. “Also.. well, you’re human. I could push you out of this tree and carve out your heart without a problem... and then we’d be done. So I’m just not afraid of you anymore. Besides the fact that we stopped the apocalypse _once_ already... when I was 12. It wouldn’t be that hard to do it again, especially now that I know how it’s done.” He shrugged a little, petting the bird lightly. “I’ve been completely prepared for you to come back since the day I returned to Gravity Falls, Bill. So maybe you can just chill with the plans for world domination because it isn't happening." With that out of the way, he smiled a little wider.

 **“You think you’re so smart, Pine Tree.” Bill closed his eyes again and smirked. Two could play that game. Wasn’t Dipper afraid of him? Well, then he wasn’t afraid of Dipper. Humans usually forgot that being afraid wasn’t a disadvantage for them, that it made them more unpredictable for their enemy, made them stay alert. Sure, a lot of fear was bad because it blinded them, but a bit of it was good. And here Dipper had just told him he wasn’t afraid. “I’m not afraid of you either, you’re not capable of harming me, you don’t have it in you.” Bill threw his arms over his head and made himself more comfortable. “You’re not Ford.” Now** **_that_ ** **one he was afraid of, he knew Ford would hesitate to kill him the second he found out he was alive... If anything the only thing about Dipper that scared him was that he could tell his great uncle.**

"But, it will take me all of 15 seconds to tell Ford." Dipper's voice was a little dark. He was tired of the game already, really. And as long as Bill behaved, he didn't see the reason for doing anything to hurt him. He liked him- at least, he liked Will, the person he had gotten to know over the past few months. "And I'm not as sweet or gullible or _kind_ as I was ten years ago, Bill Cipher. All it would take is one good reason and I will mount your head on a pike over the Shack door." Because while Dipper wasn't afraid... it wouldn't take much to make him angry again. He was forgiving, had moved past what had happened that summer but if Bill pushed... if he did something that even slightly endangered a member of his family... He wouldn't hesitate.

“You don’t need to be afraid of me. I don’t want that. I want you to _stay out of trouble._ Because the moment you don’t, we’re going to have a problem. Understand?”

 **“Aww...   does that mean you care about me now?” Bill glanced at Dipper and moved a little closer to him. “How sweet, sapling.” The demon was a little confused, he didn’t understand why Dipper hadn’t run to his great-uncle already, why he hadn’t tried to get away or at least yelled at him. Why would the human forgive him? It couldn’t be that he still felt something for him, that was ridiculous, he had to know everything had been an act. Bill didn’t care. Or so he tried to convince himself. “Are you** **_that_ ** **desperate to make friends?”**

"You already _knew_ that you asshole," Dipper grumbled. "You might have been pretending, but I'm neither sick nor twisted, and I don't play with people's feelings like that. So yes, I hate you and I'm upset, but I also still care that you're hurting and want you around because people _can't just flip like that!_ "

**"Maybe humans can't, but you should know me better, Pine Tree, I'm insane," Bill laughed and thought for a moment before offering his hand to Dipper. "How about we make a deal? No tricks involved or anything, I swear I won't hurt anyone else in your family and I won't try to start another apocalypse." He was weak, but he managed to make the flames appear in his hand. He wasn't sure if he was really able to make a proper deal at the moment, but Dipper didn't have to know that if certainly seemed like he could.**

"Well, I didn't know it was you when it started happening, did I?" He argued, frowning. "Someone was lying the entire time, wasn't he?" He paused, looking down at his hands. "One, what do you want out of it, and two, do you even have enough magic to make a contract that you'll stick too?"

 **He hadn't been lying the entire time, but he preferred Dipper to think that, it was better if the human didn't try to figure out which things had been true. "You help me get my power back, my** **_real_ ** **power. And yes, I can." He said, sounding confident in himself, like always, even if he wasn't sure.**

"And no one gets hurt." He said it firmly, eyes darkening slightly. "No one in the entire town, not just my family. No one." He shouldn't do this, deals always went badly in the end, but... if it worked, Bill wouldn't be able to hurt anyone, and eventually he'd leave…

Dipper might be able to help him be better.

**Bill sighed and rolled his eyes. "Sure, take away all my fun..." Still, he had no choice and he still had Pine Tree, so it was something. "No one from this town nor your family and friends will get hurt." He said it himself to add it to the contract and waited for the other to shake his hand. "Come on, don't know how long I can keep this up."**

Dipper didn't care if he got hurt, in the end. As long as no one else was touched. "You still have me," he said, reaching out to take his hand.

**Bill grinned and squeezed Dipper's hand a little, the flames covering it as well. "I still have you." He said and then let go of his hand. It was done and it was a real deal, he could feel it inside, the restraint the other had put on him... but it was worth it and he knew he still had some options thanks to the phrasing he had used, so it really wouldn't be too terrible for him. "Now, do I get my daily fix?" The demon reached for Dipper's neck and caressed it gently with the back of his hand.**

Dipper nodded firmly, pulling his hand back. Hopefully, he hadn't missed anything, but he was sure he had... There was always something with Bill. Something the human hadn't thought of and hadn't considered. He shivered, flinching a little. "Yeah," he mumbled. "Try not to take as much as last time, okay? I don't want to fall out of the tree." Taking a breath, he slid closer, tipping his head back.

 **"Don't worry, sapling, I'll be careful." He reassured the other and moved closer. "But if I got too far don't worry, I won't let you fall." He added before biting into the human's neck. Again the rush of energy felt incredible and Dipper's blood was just** **_good_ ** **, Bill couldn't stop himself from comparing it to others he had tasted in the past and nothing was quite like it. Despite implying that maybe he would take too much and wanting to make the other feel like he didn't care, the demon did control himself this time and pulled away after around 2 minutes, making sure to close the wound once he was done.**

“Yes, you totally would. You’d find it hilarious if I fell out of the tree,” Dipper retorted, breath hitching as teeth broke the sensitive skin of his neck and swallowed down mouthfuls of his blood. Eyes closing tightly, muscles twitching slightly... one hand tangling itself in the back of Bill’s short and holding on tightly. Cementing himself and keeping his body still. Letting out a shuddering gasp as he was freed, the sudden loss of energy still made him sway a little- nothing serious, not like last time, he just wasn’t used to it and needed a minute. A minute which he took by leaning into Bill and dropping his head on the demon’s shoulder.

**Bill let the other lean on him, just because he could use that against him later if he wanted to. He even wrapped an arm around his body to keep him in place. "You really like to cuddle, don't you?" He teased Dipper and then cleaned his mouth and chin with his hand -he had been a bit sloppy this time-. He licked the remaining blood off his hand and licked his lips. "That's called Brainpecker, by the way." The demon pointed at the bird. "I'd be careful around it."**

“Hm.. nothing wrong with enjoying physical contact,” he said simply, sighing a little as he contentedly stayed there. “Just because you hate it doesn’t mean I’m not going to take advantage of your momentary lapse in awfulness.” He smiled a little, settling against him comfortably, and pretty relaxed with the fact. “Oh, yeah? Cool, maybe I’ll carry him around on my head.”

 **“I’m not kidding, Pine Tree, they are usually scavengers, but if it’s hungry enough it** **_will_ ** **try to eat your brain. Not that I wouldn’t like to see that, I bet you make the sweetest screams.” That last part he whispered in the human’s ear, pretty close to it, and then he licked behind it. “But I need your brain intact at the moment, don’t I?”**

Dipper bit the inside of his cheek, forcing himself to act like the lick to the back of his ear didn’t affect him at all. “You say that like I’d mind it eating my brain. Like death is something I’m worried about.”

**“If you die before helping me our deal is off, Pine Tree, and that means I’ll just find another way to get my power back and then spend the rest of eternity torturing your family and the rest of this town,” Bill told him and then pushed the other away. “Now let’s head back to the shack, I’m not sleeping on a tree.”**

“I’m staying here. You don’t have to.” Dipper moved back, leaning against the tree as he watched Bill. “But, Bill... I didn’t mean because of the deal. I just meant generally. Have a good night.”

**"I know, I'm just telling you if you're gonna get suicidal then think about your family and do it once you've helped me get my power back." The demon said, trying to ignore the fact that he actually seemed to care if the other died. "Night, Pine Tree." He wasn't going to make him go to the shack if he really didn't want to... there was no point, the shelter he had created was good enough to keep him alive for the night. Bill jumped down from the tree and made his way back to the shack. He made sure to cover his All-Seeing Eye with the eyepatch before getting too close, just in case Ford was still awake.**

Dipper just laughed, long and soft and unbelievably dark. Passing the bird down a couple branches so he’d be safe, he drew his coat on and pulled the hood up to curl up and get some rest. He was going to regret this, he just knew it; knew that he’d be ruined by the end of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry about not updating yesterday, I started working and when I got home after college I was way too tired to correct grammar and all of that so I didn't update. Next updates will probably be around the weekend, let me know if you'd like me to give you 2 or 3 chapters in one day or just have them prepared to post one each day c:


	9. Can't Help Caring about You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper still cares and Bill isn't sure how to deal with that.

Dipper slept peacefully, lulled by the soothing sounds of the forest. It wasn't until early that morning that he was struck with nightmares, of triangles and piercing, manic laughter and  _ pain, _ sharp and shooting and matching the scars still carved across his body. He jerked awake, gasping for breath through strangled sobs that he was quick to muffle.

* * *

The house was quiet and dark, except for a single light Ford had left burning when he’d retired

**Bill went to his room, trying not to make a sound as he moved through the house. He was supposed to be happy, right? He had a nice deal, he would end up getting what he wanted and the kid wouldn't be able to stop it... Then why did he still feel bad about leaving Pine Tree in the woods? The demon tried not to think too hard about it. He locked himself in his room so that he would be able to sleep without the eyepatch since his eye was still healing even though he had gotten the blood he needed. That showed just how much he had pushed himself earlier.**

**Bill had a hard time falling asleep, but eventually, he managed. He didn't dream, or at least he couldn't remember anything if he had. It was early, as usual, when he walked into the kitchen. He wasn't surprised to find Ford there, already drinking his coffee, the guy had always hated wasting time sleeping, even before they had met and he started heating sleeping for other reasons. "Good morning, Stanford." He greeted the other, but the greeting lacked the usual charm and smile he usually had. He wasn't in the best mood, part of him still worried about Pine Tree and another part worried that the human would break their deal and tell Ford everything... or that Sixer would find out for himself.**

"Just Ford," he corrected, seemingly unconcerned by the fact that his nephew had yet to make an appearance. He'd come in when he was ready. "Dipper didn't want to follow you in then, did he."

**"No, he wanted to sleep in the forest, that kid is so damn stubborn..." The demon poured himself a glass of coffee and sat down in front of Ford. He wondered if the other had noticed he seemed to be in better shape than the night before. If he had then he probably thought of 3 or 4 possible theories to explain it already.**

Ford nodded a little. "Yeah, I didn't think so. He'll come in when he's ready." Glancing back up at Will, he sighed a little, closing what he was reading and sitting up. Slowly, he looked the young man over, running his finger around the rim of his cup. "Alright, kid. What are you?"

**Bill narrowed his eyes at Ford. "What do you mean?" He asked, though he knew there was no fooling Stanford Pines, not completely at least. He wanted to see what conclusions the other would come up with first though. Bill took a sip of his coffee and waited.**

"Don't play dumb with me, kid," Ford said firmly, sitting forward with a hard look and dark eyes. "We both know  _ exactly _ what I'm talking about, so just answer the question."

**"Well, what do** **_you_ ** **believe? I bet you have a few theories if you're anything like your nephew." Bill smiled and then took another long sip of his coffee. Implying that Dipper knew and he still 'liked' him or hadn't tried to end him was the best way to get Ford out of his hair... For now.**

“There are a couple monsters you could be,” Ford said casually, leaning back in his chair. “Vampires and werewolves, shapeshifters. Or a demon.” He smirked slowly. “So. Which one are you, William.”

**Bill knew Ford was baiting him, looking for the tiniest of reactions from him. He** **_had_ ** **given everyone his real name... "Well, you are as smart as Dipper said then. You're right, I'm a vampire, happy?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.**

Ford arched an eyebrow, still smirking faintly and adjusting his glasses just slightly. “What a coincidence. I was looking for vampires on my trip.”

**"Oh." Bill wasn't surprised by that, he had been watching Ford and Dipper in the car after all. "Really? Did you find any? We are don't usually like to show ourselves to mortals, especially those that want to 'learn' about us, I guess most are afraid to end up cages in a lab or some similar place."**

"No, I didn't find any. But from the looks of things, I won't actually need to. There's one living in the house and making my nephew fall in love with him."

**Bill forced a laugh and shook his head. "No, no, don't worry about that, Dipper isn't in love with me." Or at least he wouldn't be any more after a few days, not now that he knew the truth and that was for the best... Was it?**

Ford snickered, shaking his head a little as he stood to head down to the lab, gather some equipment. "Not yet, anyway. Not completely. But, good god you should see the way the kid looks at you."

**"It's just a crush if anything." The demon said, mostly to convince himself. He focused on his coffee once again when Ford left to go to his lab and tried not to dwell too much on the thought of Dipper having actual and profound feelings for him. It wasn't easy, he couldn't really shut the part of his brain that kept bringing it up and he didn't even notice Ford return to the kitchen, too lost in thought.**

"Right," he hummed as he left the kitchen, rolling his eyes. They were both just way too stubborn, missing something that was right in front of them. It wasn't long before he came back, watching Will for a few minutes. "Jesus, kid, you look almost as lost as he does. Take him on a date or something before you both explode."

**Bill was startled by Ford and couldn't hide it like he was usually able to. It was all those human** **_emotions_ ** **in his head, he had no idea how people dealt with so many of them. "I... Maybe I will, just to make you spot talking about it." Bill sighed and finished his coffee, then glanced at Ford's equipment. "What's that for?"**

“If you do, then I will stop talking about it,” Ford hummed, setting things on the table so he could rearrange how he was carrying them. “There have been some minor signals coming from the mountains that I can’t quite figure out from here. I’m going to take a look.”

**Oh, good,  for a moment Bill had been worried Ford would want to start doing tests on him. He wasn’t sure exactly how much Ford knew about vampires and how much info he would need to figure out he wasn’t one. Bill stood up and went to wash his used mug. “What kind of signals?”**

“Cosmic ones. Like something woke up... or arrived. It might be nothing, though, just satellites with bad frequencies or something. But better safe than sorry.”

**Shit. “Of course.” Bill nodded and glanced at the clock on the wall. He still had two hours till the Mystery Shack opened... Maybe he would be able to figure out how to get rid of those readings, but he had to make Dipper tell him were the satellites where. “Well, I’ll try to get Dipper to come back, see you later S- Ford.” He said and then left the kitchen and headed out of the shack.**

Ford paused, arching an eyebrow. That was... interesting. He almost seemed worried about what Ford was about to do. ".. Alright?"

* * *

Dipper had since left his.. fort, for lack of a better term, and was heading deeper into the woods. He blamed the nightmares for the intense need to start moving again. Tripping over a branch, he crashed into the ground and sighed. "Might as well stay here."

**Bill couldn’t find the human in the tree from the night before, so again he relied on his powers to look for him. It was okay though, his eye didn’t hurt anymore and he had plenty of energy to go around for a while. He was glad that it didn’t take him long to find him. “The tree wasn’t as comfortable as you thought it would be, Pine Tree?” He asked when he found the human laying on the ground.**

"I slept there all night, what are you talking about," he grumbled into the dirt, still making no effort to stand. "I tripped. And since I wasn't really headed anywhere, in particular, I thought I'd just stay here for a little while." He paused, sighing slowly. "Don't call me that."

**Bill frowned a little and grabbed the human’s arm, pulling him up with no Ford. “You’re acting particularly strange.” He said and then snapped his fingers to get rid of the dirt on Dipper. “No time to sulk, I need your help with something.”**

Dipper hissed slightly, stumbling as he tried to get his feet under him again, pulling his arm free. Shit, that had hurt a little, rubbing his arm slightly. "I wasn't sulking. What do you want?"

**“I need you to show me from where Sixer gets his readings, apparently my arrival might have disturbed the cosmic signals.” Bill crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes. Keeping his true identity secret from Ford was already hard enough as it was.**

Dipper rubbed his eyes, sighing faintly. "Which ones?" He asked dully. "He has a lot of them, Bill, unless you want to spend all day guessing and hoping we get to the right ones first, I'm gonna need more info."

**“The ones in the mountains.” One of the demon's hands turned slightly more... well, demonic and with it, he tore open a small rift that would work as a portal to the place. “Just need you to show me where exactly.” Bill grabbed Dipper’s hand and pulled him into the rift.**

Dipper instantly squeezed his eyes shut as he was pulled through the rift, a little dizzy as he steps onto the ground in the mountains. Blinking slowly, he looked around, pulling his jacket closer. "This way."

**As soon as they got to the mountains Bill lost his balance and fell on his knees. Opening rifts were out of the question then, it took way too much, he would need to remember that in the future... The demon took a deep breath and stood up, his hand changing back. He glanced at the rift. It seemed stable enough. He started following Dipper. “We can’t take too long, the rift will eventually close.”**

Dipper caught it, of course, had turned to face him and take a step forward to help him. There wasn't an option, after all; he couldn't just let someone suffer and do nothing. He nodded quickly, and lightly took Bill's upper arm to pull him along at a fairly quick pace.

**“Huh, thanks,” Bill smirked at Dipper and let his body rest against the other as they headed to the spot where Ford kept the satellites. “I’m taking you on a date by the way, so let me know when you have some free time.”**

Dipper froze for three solid seconds. "Don't joke like that," he said finally, voice dark and carefully controlled. God, he hated this so much, hated that Bill could just...  _ play _ him like that. Acting like there weren't any consequences. "Here, we're here," he sighed, letting go and dropping to start tinkering.

**“I’m not joking, Sixer keep talking about** **_us_ ** **, I just want him to shut up about it and taking you on a date seems to be the way.” Bill pushed Dipper out of the way and decided to simply fry the device. It hurt, sure, but it was the fastest way, he had no idea how long it would take Ford to get there.**

"Fine. Tomorrow night, we'll get dinner or some bullshit." Dipper jumped, swearing under his breath. "Jesus, Bill, could you be any more  _ stupid _ ?" He yelled. "Why would you do that? Instead of just letting me wipe the info so he thinks it's a fluke, you  _ destroy _ the fucking thing? Yeah, that'll definitely make him think that nothing is going on. By the way, moron, they back up to the main computer when destroyed, so you just made everything way harder than it needed to be."

**“There was a storm yesterday, it looks like lightning, you worry too much, sapling.” Bill rolled his eyes. If Dipper got rid of the information there was a chance it would just pick up the signal again later, like this he still bought himself more time.**

"Stop naming me after trees! Did you miss the 'it backs up to the main computer' part? I could have hacked this in minutes, way before Ford ever got here, could have wiped it and changed it to not pick up your signals in the first place. But no, now you're going to make me break into the lab and spend hours tonight trying to get into Ford's computer and change it from there. You  _ moron. _ " He turned and started to walk away.

"And if I'm doing that, I'm going to need you to distract him from going in," he called over his shoulder.

**Okay... so maybe he. hadn’t thought about that even though it was pretty obvious that was how it worked... Could you really blame him though? His life was the one on the line, he didn’t have time to think that much! It was a problem, he tended to act rather impulsively when he was under pressure or he was upset or angry... Dipper** **_knew_ ** **that and if anything it was his fault for not seeing it coming. “Alright, well, can’t we deal with that while he’s here?”**

Dipper took a deep breath. Okay.. okay. Slow down, breathe. He should have expected Bill to lash out, even with him in the way of the machine. Now he'll just have to play damage control... again. "Bill... let's go, okay. Let's get back to the Shack before the rift closes and we're trapped here. I can try, while he's here. But I can't guarantee anything."

**Bill nodded and followed Dipper. On the way back he tried to calm down, he was way too on edge now, even if he was doing a good job keeping it hidden -for the most part when he wasn’t lashing out at things like he just did...-. The demon really was worried about his safety now, he had told Dipper, after all, he** **_was_ ** **afraid of Ford. They made it back to the rift and Bill took Dipper’s hand to cross, just to make sure he wouldn’t get lost in the void. The rift closed as soon as they got out, they had barely made it.**

Dipper squeezed his hand gently as he was pulled through, continuing to force his breath to be slow, steady, carefully drawn out to release his nerves and anger. Bill, though... He looked at him, tipping his head slightly. There was a hard set to his shoulders, and was his hand shaking a little? Oh... oh, he was... Right. Bill was afraid of Ford, that's right, and Dipper had been yelling at him, and his  _ life _ was in danger... Once they reached the Shack, Dipper tightened his hold on Bill's hand and stopped walking, forcing him to a stop. "Bill... look at me." His voice dropped to something soft and calm.

**Bill reluctantly stopped and looked at the human. “What do you want now,** **_Pine Tree_ ** **.” He said, trying to sound annoyed to hide the fact that he was scared more than anything. He didn’t want Dipper to figure that out. As much as part of him** **_liked_ ** **it when the human worried about him, it was confusing, he didn’t know how to deal with it. Now, Dipper being angry at him? That was familiar territory, he had no problem with that.**

Dipper stepped forward, closing the distance between them so he could rest his hands on Bill's shoulders. It was clear that he had trouble controlling and hiding the human emotions, and the physical responses that came with that. Clear in the tenseness of his body and the paleness of his skin. And the forced irritation in his voice. After a moment, he smiled. "It'll be okay, Bill," he said gently. "Alright? Listen to me. I won't let anything happen to you, understand? I know you're scared of Ford, but he  _ isn't _ going to find out. I won't let him hurt you."

**And there it was, Dipper sounding like he actually worried about him and confusing Bill beyond measure. The demon let out a breath and nodded. “He better not find out, we have a deal...” Though their deal only prevented Dipper from telling Ford, if he found out on his own then it wouldn’t be broken. He should have been more specific about that. Bill got away from Dipper and continued walking towards the shack. “Thanks for the reassurance though!” He told the other as he closed the door on Dipper’s face. He was so exhausted... But it was almost time to open the shop and he needed to keep up the charade now more than ever.**

Dipper rolled his eyes, pushing the door open firmly. "Bill, stop walking, shut up. Listen to me for once in your goddamn life. You need to relax." His voice was quiet but firm, and he grabbed the Demon again to make their eyes meet. "Breathe, okay? Don't argue, don't fight, it's  _ so obvious _ that you're wound tighter than spring." Moving one hand, he pressed it to Bill's chest. "Breathe. Slowly."

**The demon glared at the other. “You shouldn’t throw that name around so carelessly while we’re in this place.” He told him but this time he actually tried to do what the other said. He closed his eyes and made an effort to breathe in and out slowly. It worked a little, he felt himself relax, if only for the time being.**

"Will," he corrected easily. "There we go, easy does it. Slower, little slower..." He smiled faintly, gently cupping his cheek and touching their foreheads together. "You're doing really well, keep going..."

**Bill tried not to think too hard about what was happening, doing his best to ignore the strange sensations he got in his body for being this close to Dipper. Finally, he felt like he wouldn’t be trying to set anything on fire so he pushed Dipper away, gently this time. He glanced at the ceiling. “Thanks.” He muttered under his breath.**

Dipper nodded, smiling gently and dropping his arms once he was pushed away. “You’re welcome. And I’ll do it again if you need, okay? Things will work out.” He moved away. “I’ll get to work, you can open the shop. Try and give me a little warning for when Ford comes, alright?”

**Bill nodded and got to work. He thought about asking Dipper for a bit of his blood since he was really exhausted, but in the end, he decided to suck it up. There was no time to waste on that, the human needed every second he could get.**

Dipper raced down to the lab, working as quickly as possible while also not leaving a bunch of evidence behind. Quick and stealthy. And while this computer was certainly harder to get into then the satellite would have been, he also knew Ford, knew his tricks and what he tried with his passwords. It still took hours, but Ford had just broken free from the line of trees into Bill’s line of sight as Dipper finished wiping the traces and planting some of his own, resetting everything so it was almost like he wasn’t even there.

**Bill saw Ford stepping out of the woods and started getting nervous again since Dipper wasn’t back. He also couldn’t leave the Mystery Shack’s shop since there were customers looking through the merchandise, still trying to choose what they would take with them to remember their time at the tourist trap. He only had one option and he knew he would end up regretting doing it, but he had to. The demon closed his eyes for a brief second and used the last bit of energy he had to get into Dipper’s mind. Ford is here. He said and as soon as the words were out he left and almost collapsed on the counter. He noticed liquid coming out of his nose and reached for it with his hand. Blood. Why were human bodies so damn fragile?!**

Dipper jumped, shutting down the computer and racing up the stairs, just barely remembering to lock the door behind him. He was on the floor in moments, charming smiling back in place. “Hey, Will, you’re bleeding,” he said, keeping his voice calm as he grabbed some tissues and brought them over to press against his nose. “Go into the bathroom, okay, I’ll be in soon to see if you need any help,” he whispered.

**Bill sighed and nodded, walking around the counter as he held the tissues in place. He had to use the wall for support since he was more than a little dizzy. He managed to get to the bathroom with no problem but once there he passed out.**

**Ford walked into the shack through the main door and tried to put on a cheerful smile to greet the tourists. He still didn’t like what his house had turned to in his absence but he dealt with it. “Morning Dipper, glad to see Will convinced you to come back.”**

Dipper watched, hiding his concern well. And he turned his attention to the customers, spinning his stories and selling secret treasures to children. 

“Oh, come on, Ford. You knew I was always going to come back. I found these birds, too. I think they eat the brains of animals,” Dipper said, throwing excitement into his tone.”

**“So it was true about the bird? I thought you were making it up.” Ford confessed, huffing a laugh. Dipper had tried to show him yesterday but he had dismissed him. “That’s really interesting, I never heard of them... I wonder if more weirdness has started pouring into Gravity Falls... Maybe it has something to do with the signals...” He said that last bit mostly to himself, thinking out loud.**

“Why would I make it up?” He laughed, pulling his phone from his pocket. “I even have a video of it, come here, I’ll show you.” He was flipping through his phone, listening to Ford curiously. “Oh? What signals?” He asked.

**“One of the satellites picked up a few strange readings yesterday morning. I’m pretty sure they were cosmic signals, they were small, so I’m assuming the main one was while I was away.” Ford explained and then he focused on the video for a bit. It really wan an interesting bird, worth studying for sure, but, since Dipper had found it, he would leave it to him. “Amazing discovery and here I thought there was nothing new in this town.”**

“Did you get any info when you went out?” He asked, seeming not to care all that much as he played the video. Costumers were starting to leave, which was good, he wanted them out so he could check on Bill. “The forest will always surprise you,” he hummed, setting the device down as he finished a sale and handed a little girl a replica sword.

**The old man waited for the tourists to leave before he continued talking. He didn’t like to talk about this stuff around those strangers, even if they were blinder than Stan without glasses. “Not really, I went to check the satellites, but the only one prepared to detect that kind of signal was completely fried... I’m guessing it was struck by lightning last night.” On at least he wanted to believe that was what had happened. Ford have Dipper back his phone and looked around. “Where’s Will?”**

Dipper frowned a little but nodded. “Yeah, the storm got pretty bad last night for a while, that’s believable,” he agreed, before sighing, easily letting his concern show on his face. “The bathroom. I think... I think staying out with me, in the rain last night and again this morning got him sick. I’m gonna check on him. Can you flip the open sign to closed? If he is I’m not going to work.” He had hopped out from behind the counter already, heading for the door.

**“Of course, if Stan asks we can just tell him I needed some privacy in the shack for the day.” Ford ruffled his nephew’s hair affectionately. “And if you need help with Will you let me know. I had no idea vampires could get sick.” He knew next to nothing about real vampires, so he really wasn’t going to question Dipper. If there was someone Ford knew he could trust, that someone was Dipper Pines.**

"Thanks, Ford," Dipper hummed, leaning into the hand through his hair slightly with a fond little grin- he looked like a kid again, like he hadn't had to grow up at 13. "I don't know if they can either, he just... he's really tired and pale so.. it's my best conclusion right now?" He shrugged a little, heading towards the bathroom. Knocking softly, a quiet call of Will's name... silence... before he pushed open the door and stepped inside.

**“Mmm...” Maybe it was that he was hungry, he wondered how he had been feeding. He hoped he wasn’t feeding of his family at night. As much as his nephew seemed to like the vampire, Ford wasn’t going to tolerate that. If Will wanted to feed off them he had to ask them first.**

**Bill was laying on the floor slipping in and out of consciousness every few seconds.**

"Will!" He gasped, careful in case Ford could still hear him. He dropped down to his knees, wrapping an arm around the demon's shoulders and propping him against his own chest. "Will, hey, come on, open your eyes," he mumbled to himself, trying to listen to his breathing, check his heart rate.

**Bill opened his eyes a little and smiled when he noticed he was in Dipper’s arms. “Hey, Pine Tree.” He murmured. “Did you make it?” The demon could feel himself about to slip again but did everything he could to stay awake, focusing on the other man.**

"Yeah, yeah, I did, we're fine. You're fine, Ford doesn't know," he whispered soothingly, directly against Bill's ear. "Easy, easy... you're breathing way too fast, Bill, slow it down, it'll help, I promise." He glanced around, unsure what to do, before... digging into his coat pocket, he found the knife Ford had left him, holding it tightly. Bill needed blood, it was obvious, Dipper just needed to make sure he didn't take too much. "Bill, focus for a sec," he whispered, wrapping his arms around him so he could dig the edge of the blade into his wrist, let it drip over Bill's lips.. come on, just take it.

**Just a couple of drops were enough to wake up Bill enough to grab Dipper’s arm and bring his wrist to his mouth. He drank greedily for about a minute before letting go and making the cut disappear with one last lick. He was never opening rifts again, not until he managed to get his own power back. “Much better.” He grinned and moved away to put some distance between him and the human.**

DIpper sucked in a breath, relaxing as Bill finally latched on to his wrist, finally drank, finally looked like he wasn't moments from death oh dear god. His head thumping back against the wall, he nodded a little.... but instead of letting Bill move away, he tightened his arms, keeping him basically sitting in Dipper's lap. "Stop. Just... shut up and stop for a second," he whispered.

**Bill sighed and rolled his eyes, but he let the other keep him in place. Laying against Dipper’s heat was a lot more comfortable than laying again the wall anyway... “Doing stuff like this isn’t going to help you with that crush you seem to have on dear Will, sapling,” Bill whispered in Dipper’s ear, knowing that Ford was around and could check on them any second, unlike Stan who was probably watching TV and had no idea what was going on around the shack in the first place.**

"I don't care," he whispered, and his voice was choked, something in him ached and snagged and threatened to break into a million little pieces. "I don't care, Bill, I don't care that I have feelings for you and you don't, and I don't care that I keep doing dumb bullshit that isn't going to help me get over it, but I.. you didn't... for a second you looked..." He's having trouble, trembling faintly as he presses his forehead into Bill's shoulder.

**Bill gulped and then let out a sigh. He stayed silent for a long moment before gently patting Dipper’s back a couple of times, trying -and probably failing- to be reassuring. “I’m okay, kid, I’m fine, you can’t get rid of me that easily, we have a deal, remember?” He smiled a little, a soft smile, more sincere, not his usual grin. “Hey, am I allowed to ask a question?”**

He couldn't walk in and find someone he cared about like that, it was why he made Bill promise the entire town would be safe this time. He couldn't... he had almost lost them all too many times to have the sanity left to be calm when he sees a body on the floor like that.... the touch against his back was nice, it was nice to know that even if Bill didn't care he was still trying. "Right... we have a deal," he whispered, and oh god he can hear the muffled sob trapped in his voice. "... Yeah, course..."

**God no, he wasn’t going to let Pine Tree cry, that would certainly not go unnoticed by Ford and Bill wouldn’t know how to explain it. “What do you have against trees? They are magnificent creatures, you know?” He said, doing his best to lift Dipper’s spirits, maybe make him smile or laugh. He had never tried making a human laugh, it was so different from making a demon happy... Demons were a lot simpler in his opinion, give them a body turned inside out and they’d be fine. “They are all connected and they live so long, I think that’s the only species in this dimension that’s actually worth sparing. They see and remember everything.”**

He blinked. What? What did trees have to do with any- oh? Oh, the nicknames, the names, right, of course, that makes so much more sense. There was a  bubble of warmth in his chest that wasn't here a moment ago; Bill was trying, trying to cheer him up and distract him from what had just happened. That was... it was so sweet it hurt. "I don't have anything against trees," he murmured, rubbing his eyes a little as he lifts his head to look at Bill. "I love trees, I love how tall they are and how safe they can be, I could spend all day in one." He knew he should actually answer the unspoken question, but he wanted Bill to keep talking, to actually ask the question.

**Bill bit his lip and looked away. He probably would look rather frightening if he wasn’t so perplexed, what with the blood drying on his lips and chin and his teeth that up close looked way too sharp for a human. “Why can’t I call you Pine Tree then? I don’t get it.” He supposed it could bring back bad memories, but Pine Tree also referenced the way Dipper and the others still had to defeat him, the zodiac.**

"Because you're the only one that does," he explained, watching him... unafraid. That was his blood drying all over Bill's face, but he wasn't afraid. "And something incredibly awful would usually happen right after. I can almost link each scar I have to a time you've called me Pine Tree."

**Bill sighed and rolled his eyes “Maybe you have a point. But I like it.” He grinned and glanced back at the human. “Would you rather I call you, Mason?” What could he say? He didn’t like the name Dipper, everyone called him that and he wasn’t everybody, he was Bill Cipher.**

"Only if I get to start calling you William all the time," Dipper fired back, arching an eyebrow with a smirk. "Just pick a different nickname, Cipher, it can't be that hard."

**“I like Pine Tree, sapling too, it’s like calling you kid and Pine Tree at the same time.” The demon laughed and this time he did get away from Dipper’s hold and stood up. “I should get back to work, I don’t want my favorite Stan to get angry at me.”**

"I closed the fucking shop and told Ford that you were sick. Which we're going to have to explain at some point, too, about whether or not vampires can get sick," he added, standing. "Pick. A. Different. Nickname."

**Bill rubbed his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t know what to call you just... just pick one yourself if you hate it so much.” The demon said and then turned around and walked out of the bathroom. He had tried to be nice enough for one day and if he had the rest of the day free then he wanted some time for himself.**

He lunged out and grabbed his wrist, dragging him back hard. "You're still covered in dried blood!" he hissed, shutting the door firmly. "So unless we're telling Ford right now that you're feeding on me, that's one hell of a bad idea." He turns away to turn the hot water on in the sink, starting to scrub the knife clean.

**The demon groaned in annoyance. He didn’t want to spend another second in a room with Dipper, the human had already affected him enough. He was right though, so Bill turned to face the sink and washed his face, making sure to get rid of all the stains. He supposed he was lucky none of it had ended up on his shirt, given how Dipper had carelessly let the first drops fall on his mouth, instead of pressing his wrist to it since the beginning.**

Dipper plunged his wrist under the way too fucking hot water and scrubs at his wrist. Too hard and too long for the actual amount of blood there, but he doesn't care, he doesn't care about any of it anymore. "Don't do that again," he whispered, forcing his voice blank. "Don't push yourself like this again, Bill, or I swear you won't like what I do."

**Bill noticed the steam coming out along with the water and he immediately opened the cold water and closed the other one, frowning at the human. “Alright, I’ll try my best.” He grabbed Dipper’s hands to stop him from scrubbing. “But you need to stop it with the self-destructive tendencies, at least till I’m gone. I need you alive, remember?” He let him go.**

Dipper stopped, of course, and turned to face Bill. The mask slips, and for a moment his smile is dark and hateful and sad. "You haven't seen self-destructive," he bites out, dropping the perfectly happy, charming smile into place with ease. His voice changes as well, light and chipper. "And I really can't believe you asked me out, Will. I'll get Mabel to cover the shop, she'll be over the moon, and we can get dinner or see a movie tomorrow night." Still smiling like nothing was wrong, he turned and left the room, putting a little extra kick in his step as he went to find his sister.

**Bill's shoulders dropped and he rubbed his eyes. He didn't care, okay? He just wanted Dipper to fulfill his end up the deal and he couldn't do it if he was dead. This was his fault though, he was the reason why Dipper was so broken. It was karma he supposed, now he needed to make sure the human didn't kill himself just so that he would get something in return. Years ago he would have gladly watched Dipper spiral down into hell but now he needed to somehow stop it. He would figure out a way eventually.**

**The demon walked out of the bathroom and then left the shack through the back door. Time alone. He deserved it.**

* * *

 

Mabel heard Dipper from their room and run to meet his brother. "You have a date with Will?! I knew it, I knew it! When? Tonight? Tomorrow?"

**Dipper laughed, he threw an arm around Mabe's shoulders.... and he pretended. He faked it with an ease that would have made any therapist cringe, with the confidence and calm of someone who had been hiding behind a mask of smiles for years already. "Tomorrow. It's tomorrow!" He grinned, pretends its real, that Bill was still Will and actually wanted to go on a date. "Can you cover for me, Mabel? Just from like, three until closing? I want to have time to get ready and stuff."**

"Oh course, Dip-Dop!" How could she say no to that? Dipper looked so happy, he didn't think he had been him that happy in years! She was glad he wasn't just burying himself in the mysteries of the town and was trying to get a life. "Do you need help with anything? Why am I even asking, you obviously need help deciding what to wear." She laughed and grabbed his brother's hand to pull them into their room.

Dipper laughed, letting her drag him along to the bedroom. "Nothing too crazy, remember, it's just a first date and it's just a movie and dinner, so it can't be... I want it to go well!" He was putting everything he had into this charade, into pretending that this was something that mattered and wasn't just one of Bill's plans to keep Ford of his back. 

**"It will go great, bro, don't worry, I know just the thing for it." Mabel went through Dipper's clothes and put together three different outfits for Dipper to pick from. "It all comes down to the kind of message you want to send him and how you want to spend the night." She said and started explaining him the first outfit.**

Dipper took a seat on Mabel's bed to listen, nodding along like he actually really cared about what was about to happen. 

**"And finally, I call this one 'The Happy Ending'," Mabel said, doing jazz hands and glancing up, sort of dreamily. "You know what I mean, right?" She gave her brother a knowing look, wiggling her eyebrows.**

Dipper flushed. "It's the FIRST DATE!" He squeaked. "A first, one, might be the only, I'm not looking for... for that."

**"Okay, okay..." Mabel rolled her eyes, pretending he believed Dipper wouldn't want something like that on a first date. "But I mean, it's not like you just met and I know you've been flirting with each other and Dip-Dop, we share a room and you talk in your sleep."**

Dipper ducked his head. “I... I want this to go well, Mabel,” he said quietly. “I want it to work out, and I want it to last. So... no. None of that.* And dammit every word hurt as he spun his lies that weren’t really lies because, a week ago? It would have been the truth. And now it just hurt, it stabbed into his chest and clawed at his inside and he was still fucking smiling. “Have an outfit that says ‘please don’t let this be the only date’?”

**Mabel thought for a moment and grabbed the flannel from the second outfit. He placed it with the first and bit her lip. There was something missing... Oh! She opened the drawer on Dipper’s nightstand and pulled his old hat from it, the one with the Pine Tree. “There, perfect, that one should do it.”**

Dipper blinked, smiling again as he stood and hugged Mabel tightly. “Thanks, Mabel,” he whispered, and it was the closest he had ever gotten to his facade breaking around her.

**“You know I’m always here if you need me for anything, Dipper,” Mabel told him, hugging his brother back and patting his back twice. “Pat, pat.” She said and laughed before breaking the hug.**

“Pat pat,” he agreed, closing his eyes for just a moment before pulling back and smiling softly. “I love you, Mabel. You know that, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! I'll try to post one more chapter today as well ;)


	10. Sing Us a Song Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so maybe Bill also sort of cares... But don't tell anyone about that.
> 
> This one is... well, it's a little dark, Bill finds out exactly how bad Dipper was after the demon died.

**Bill found himself walking to the statue. He hadn't planned to go there, it was just where his feet took him. Once there he demon sat down in front of it and tried to clean it up a little. "Hard to believe Pine Tree ever came here..." It really looked as if he had been left to be forgotten.**

But Dipper had... and if Bill kept looking, he would have noticed the scattered dead flowers, and sticky notes and letters from over the years, some trapped under rocks or buried under him but all very... there.

**Bill continued uncovering the statue and finally found something. It was a note, old, probably had been there for at least 8 years.**

The words were faded from the weather, but Dipper's handwriting, scrawled and messy in 14-year-old hand. 'I don't get why I keep coming back. Not like you can help me any. I think it's just nice not to pretend for a little while.'

**Bill huffed and caught the note on fire, letting it turn to ash in his hand. "Why would you ever want my help?" He said as if expecting the forest to reply on Dipper's behalf. Where he had found the first note he noticed there was a small hole filled with more of those, so he read through a few of them.**

The next, a year later. 'This is so stupid, but it's so quiet and the quiet is nice, birds don't sing or anything.'

Another, when he was maybe 17. 'The screaming stops when I sit here. I don't know why, but it does.'

Two, when he was 18. 'I'm staying in Gravity Falls now, and that could be really good or really bad.' and 'I brought flowers, and you would think it was so dumb, I know you would, but I feel better about it.'

Again, 19. 'Are you giving me the fucking nightmares because I'm not sleeping and it's driving me insane I really need you to STOP!' A smaller one, written barely a few days later: 'Oh god thank you I didn't think that would work thank you so much.'

20: 'If this doesn't stop I'm not going to be able to keep going.'

The last one was still fresh, written while Bill had been in Gravity Falls again. 'What are you doing to my head, you need to stop I can't take the pretending or the smiles and act like everything is fine I can't do this anymore so STOP IT. It worked with the nightmares!!'

**Bill felt like every single note was a knife cutting through his skin. He didn't like this feeling, this... guilt. Because he supposed that was what it was. He would have been proud of making the kid feel this way if he had been trying to do it, but he had done nothing. Bill had been gone all those years, for him it had been so fast. He died, he appeared in the realm of the Axolotl and then he was back in Gravity Falls. He had a shortcut and hadn't really been able to mess with anyone in that time he had been away because that time hadn't even existed for him. Dipper had been suffering all on his own, dealing with his own inner demons and Bill should be proud that they all seemed to have his name but... Honestly? It made the demon feel awful. He burned all the notes he read, in case Dipper returned. He wanted him to know he had read them.**

**Bill returned to the shack after sunset, hands in his pockets, head lowered. He hoped not to come across anyone on the way to his room... He didn’t feel like having dinner either.**

“What’s wrong, Will?” Ford asked as he was about to pass him.

**Bill glanced up at Ford and shook his head. “Nothing, I was just... Thinking.” He said and put on a smile. “I’m taking Dipper on a date tomorrow, by the way, you can’t bring it up again now.”**

Ford paused before smiling slowly. “That’s... good. That’s really good. Uh.... be good to him, okay?”

**“Yeah, yeah, Ford, don’t worry.” The demon smirked and walked past him. “I won’t hurt him.” He didn’t think he could hurt Dipper even more...**

“That isn’t what I meant.” Ford reached out, catching his shoulder. “Dipper... he hides it really well, but he’s already pretty... broken. Just be careful. He can’t take anymore right now.” Letting go, he continued on his way.

**Bill hesitated for a moment in front of the door to the shack, but he ended up turning around and following Ford. “Wait.” He knew what had happened to Dipper, knew the facts, but he didn’t understand and he... he wanted to. Only because it would help him keep him alive while he had use for him, no other reason. “I’m... having a hard time understanding what he went through.”**

Ford paused, adjusting the bag over his shoulder. For a few minutes, he just watched Will. “... walk with me, kid. We’ll talk,” he offered gently, waiting for him to catch up before starting forward. Once they were in the woods, he slowed his pace to something relaxed. “What do you know?”

**“He told me that this... demon almost caused the apocalypse.” Bill started saying. Looking down at his feet as he walked, hands in his pockets. “And that he and you and others stopped him.” He felt weird talking to Ford of all people, he was his least favorite member of the Pines’ family, but talking to Dipper would feel even worst and he didn’t think he would really be able to get what he needed out of him. “That happened when he was 12.”**

Ford nodded slowly. “Right. Well, that demon had been causing problems all summer, and Dipper was losing himself in the chase. But we won, and Dipper went home. For a couple years everything was fine, we thought that maybe he had gotten out unharmed.” He was quiet for a few minutes, pushing a branch out of the way so it didn’t hit them. “But then... he started pulling back, spending more time out here and at the grave. And he wasn’t eating, or sleeping, but there wasn’t much we could do when we only had him for a summer. And the summer when he was 16 he wore pants and long sleeves every day, and he’d flinch when someone got close and say that he kept hearing screams when he was alone. One day Mabel broke down the door to the bathroom and he was just.... there was blood everywhere and he was babbling about how it was only this quiet when he was with the statue.” Another pause, longer. “We didn’t think he’d make it that time.”

He clears his throat, taking a deep breath. “So he spends some time in the psych ward under watch, and he’s released with some advice on how to move on. That was the first day he had me drive him to town to pick up flowers. He moves in when he’s 18, and everything seems fine. He’s all smiled and calm and he leaves flowers at the grave. At 19 the nightmares start again, screaming himself awake in the middle of the night. He stops sleeping for a while before he makes a wild break into the woods. They stop a couple days later and he sleeps for a solid 24 hours. He pretends everything is fine, and it fools nearly everyone. But there were moments when I could tell that it wasn’t okay, that he was still hearing things sometimes and things weren’t alright. I had hoped getting away for his next year of school would do some good... and it all leads up to now; he’s done with school, he doesn’t wake up screaming, he hasn’t been cutting. But he’s still not okay, there are still moments when I look at him and can see that... he’s hiding behind that smile.”

**Bill listened to Ford even though at times he wanted to just pretend he was doing it, retreat somewhere in his mind and let the words wash over deaf ears. He felt terrible... for the most part since he was still a demon and the most twisted side of his mind did feel pretty accomplished. But the thing was, no matter how hard he tried to focus on that part, he just couldn't. "I..." He huffed a bitter laugh and rubbed his eyes. "I'm really not the right person for him, I wish you would have just let it be, I shouldn't have asked him out on a date." He had seen behind the mask, he knew Dipper wasn't okay and spending more time than absolutely necessary with Bill wasn't going to make things better.**

Ford sighed slowly. “There isn’t anyone else, William. Not really. The people in this town just want to forget, move on, and he won’t leave. So... I’m sorry, Will. But he really likes you, so... currently, you’re our only option.”

**The demon ran a hand through his hair and looked up at the night sky. "You're putting a lot on my shoulders right now. A lot of trust too, even though you barely know me." The demon looked around, trying to figure out where they were headed. "Where are we going, by the way?" He ended up asking.**

“Dipper trusts you. And that’s enough. But honestly, I didn’t think he’d make it through this summer.” Ford stared forward firmly. “Checking some readings and such. Won’t be that hard or that long. And I was going to see if Dipper had been to the grave lately.”

**"Oh. I... Shouldn't go with you, I know it's a sensitive place, I wouldn't want to intrude." Of course, he simply wanted to avoid being there when Ford would find out someone had been there, cleaning the statue, making a few notes go away... You know, just in case.**

“Alright. It’s up to you. Just follow this path, you’ll hit the shack again.”

**Bill nodded and turned around. He didn't think about thanking Ford, he just wanted to get away from him as fast as he could. Sure, there was a big chance Ford would believe Dipper had simply been back at the statue and if he asked the human there was a big chance he wouldn't let him know he was wrong, but still, it made Bill nervous.**

* * *

Dipper had escaped Mabel, was currently sitting in the closed store, just breathing. Peace. So much peace.

**Bill wasn't expecting to run into anyone if he used the shop's door since the lights were off, but he was wrong and he ducked his head when he noticed Dipper. "Don't mind me, I'm just heading to my room..." He murmured and started walking across the shop, trying not to look at the other.**

Dipper lifted his head, smiling a little with dark eyes. “... Alright.”

**Bill was almost out of the room when Dipper finally replied and that made him stop. The demon sighed, shook his head, knowing he would regret this later, and turned around again. He walked to the piano and sat down, leaving space for Dipper. "Care to join me?"**

It took a few minutes for Dipper to respond, rising slowly and moving to sit next to Bill. He just... couldn’t put the effort into the pretending right now, not after how much he’d put into keeping Mabel happy. “... can you teach me?”

**"Well, I lack the patience for that sort of thing but... Remembering the notes isn't that hard." Bill told Dipper a few mnemonic rules as he showed him which note corresponded to each key, then he played them in order, one by one, "Your turn."**

Dipper set his hands on the keys, copying him with a small... real smile.

**"See? Not that hard, huh?" Bill nudged Dipper gently. "Now watch carefully." Bill played the first part of 'We'll meet again' slowly, only with his left hand. He knew it was hard for someone who had never played before, but he couldn't come up with something easier.**

Dipper fumbled his way through the keys, laughing a little. This was nice, though. The music was quiet and Bill was warm and for once... it seemed almost real. “Oh, shit, this is so much harder than you make it seem.”

**Bill huffed a laugh and nodded. "Takes practice, kid, I had a lot of time to learn." Bill played the next part and sang a little under his breath. "Keep smiling through, just like you always do... 'Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away..." He stopped and let out a sigh. "Did you have dinner?"**

“Yeah,” he agreed, plucking along at the next part carefully. His voice was nice, too... Bill was a good singer. “No, I haven’t. I’m not that hungry.”

**“You should eat something, P- Mason.” The demon sighed and focused his eyes on the keys in front of him. He played the next part. “Tell you what, if you eat something, anything, I’ll play whatever you want, just for you. Well, anything except Clair de Lune, it’s enough that I’m pretending to be a vampire, I’m not gonna pretend to be that kind of vampire.”**

Dipper thought about it for a second before nodding. “Okay, deal.” Moving into the kitchen, he soon returned with an apple and a PB &J. “Alright... what songs do you know?”

**“I’ve been alive since forever, just ask for anything,” Bill said, rolling his eyes, but then he remembered something and blushed a little, looking away. “Well, except anything that came out in the last 10 years since I missed those...”**

He nodded a little, crunching into his apple as he thought. “What about... Blue Lips by Regina Spektor?” He requested.

**Bill closed his eyes as and murmured the melody under his breath to recall the notes. After a few seconds, he began playing. He wasn't sure if Dipper would want him to sing, so he didn't, assuming the other would ask him if that was the case.**

Dipper didn’t even think to ask, he was whisper-singing the words under his breath already. “He stumbles into faith and thought... God this is all, there is..”

**Bill glanced at the human and smiled a little when he noticed the other seemed a lot more relaxed than he had been when he had walked into the shack. This had definitely gone better than his attempt to cheer Dipper up in the bathroom. It felt... Nice. When he reached the second verse of the song he couldn't help himself and joined Dipper, but he tried not to sing too loud, wanting to listen to the other man. "He took a step but then felt tired... He said I'll rest a little while... But when he tried to walk again... He wasn't a child."**

Things were going... really well. He hadn’t felt this good, this relaxed, this... honest to god happy in months, maybe even years, and... he didn’t want to give it up. “And all the people hurried past real fast and no one ever smiled... Blue lips, Blue veins. Blue, the color of the planet from far, far away.” He continued, licking the way their voices marched together.

**Bill continued to sing along with Dipper, liking it maybe a little bit too much. Dipper had a nice voice, definitely better than the one he had when he was younger, it didn't crack anymore -or so far Bill hadn't heard it-. When he was done with the song he noticed he had moved closer to Dipper. Sure, there hadn't been that much distance between them in the first place, since the bench wasn't that big, but now they were pressed together. The demon wasn't going to think about it. "Blue lips... Blue veins... Blue, the color of our planet from far, far away." Bill sang and then moved his hands away from the keys. From the opening that led out of the shop, came a couple of slow claps and when Bill looked up he noticed Ford.**

Dipper pressed into Bill’s shoulder slightly, smiling down at the keys as the last note died in the air. He bit into his sandwich, holding up his end of the bargain once more, his promise to eat in exchange for company and music. Jumping slightly, he turned to face Ford, waving a little.

**Ford just smiled and waved back before leaving them alone again, which made Bill assume he hadn’t been listening for too long. That was good. “There, you can’t say I never do nice things for you,” Bill told Dipper in a whisper, not wanting to ruin the mood he had managed to set.**

Dipper turned back, swallowing. “Can we... maybe... do this more often?” He asked softly, not quite meeting Bill’s gaze.

**Bill bit his lip. “How about I’ll think about it? I’m not making any promises.” He had quite enjoyed it, sure, but it had also made him feel like he was getting too close and that simply wouldn’t do.**

Dipper nodded, smiling almost shyly before finished his dinner and cleaning up the slight mess he made. “Thank you... I’m going to bed now. Sleep tight, Will...”

**Bill gulped and looked down at his lap. There was no one around, Dipper could have used his name... Sure, Will was sort of right too, but at the same time, it wasn’t. The demon sighed. He probably only called him that in case Ford was still around the corner or something. “Sweet dreams, Pine Tree.” He said a little too late after Dipper had left the room. Not like it mattered though, the words had been barely a whisper and the other wouldn’t have heard them.**

Better safe than sorry, really... he didn’t know how far Ford had gone, and after everything, they’d accomplished he didn’t want to risk anything. He wished they didn’t have to hide the fact that Bill was there, but... well. Nothing they could do about it. Dipper made his way up to his room, getting ready and setting the ‘date clothes’ aside before curling up to sleep. Silently begging for one good night.

* * *

**Bill stayed in the shop for a few more minutes, just... sitting there in the darkness, before finally going to his room. As usual, sleep didn’t come easy for him, but this time, instead of spending his time staring at the ceiling, he decided to pay Dipper a visit. He wasn’t planning to interfere with his dreams, he just wanted to make sure things weren’t too terrible in his mind. Yes, he was still worried and after finding out exactly how Dipper had been doing in the last ten years... He just needed to check.**

Dipper was sitting at the piano in his dreams, carefully plucking out chords and notes but not really playing anything. Slowly, he looked up, and his smile was soft and oh so real. “Hey, Bill.”

**“Hey, kid.” Bill greeted him with a grin and sat next to him. “Heard you’ve been having nightmares, so I thought I’d come and take a look at what your mind could do without me.” Bill looked around, pretending to look for the horrors that weren’t there. “Gotta say, I’m a little disappointed.”**

“I never have nightmares when we have a peaceful not. Shoulda stopped by the night I slept outside, that was a mess.” As if in response to him thinking about it, the lights flickered and something growled from the shadows. “But this is better. Think I can get you to play again?” He asked firmly.

**Bill glanced into the distance. They were in an illuminated place, but the darkness around them, now in the corners of Dipper’s mind... it was thick. Bill glanced at the piano and sighed, then sat next to Dipper. “Sure, why not... Just one song though, I can’t stay for too long, I’m tired as well.”**

“Yeah, of course,” he assured, smiling eagerly and relaxing slightly. “Just one, then off to bed. Something happy?” He suggested.

**“Sure, sapling.” Bill grinned and started playing the first thing that came to his mind that seemed happy enough for a demon. He couldn’t believe he had come to Dipper’s mind just for this... He could do whatever he wanted in the dreamscape and yet here he was, just playing the piano for Dipper Pines.**

Dipper nodded along, listening to him play and relax further, eyes closing. He didn’t know how long it would be, but these few stolen moments were wonderful. “Thanks,” he breathed.

**“Yeah, yeah...” Bill stood up and looked down at himself. He hadn’t even bothered to change into something better, what a waste of time in Dipper’s dream. “You owe me something, I hope you pick a good movie tomorrow.”**

“I’ll pay for dinner and you can pick the movie,” Dipper bargained, his face open and his smile warm as he lightly hit several keys, copied the best he could from what Bill had shown him earlier.

**Bill did his best not to cringe at Dipper’s playing. “Deal. Some advice though.” Bill snapped his fingers and suddenly they were in an entirely different place, standing in front of a big audience, spotlight on Dipper, who was wearing a suit, and the piano. “Remember you can do whatever you want in here, you can be better than Beethoven, kid.” He told him before getting out of Pine Tree’s mind.**

Dipper waited until Bill had left before snapping his fingers, returning to the quiet empty room from before. “Heh... I know, Bill,” he murmured, setting his hands on the keys.


	11. Faking It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They have their fake date. Bill is a bit of a creep and Dipper can't keep it together anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I probably won't be able to update till the next weekend, so I hope you enjoy this really long chapter :D Also, remember to let us know in the comments if you like the story so far! - Alga

**After paying that visit to Dipper it was a lot easier for Bill to fall asleep and this time he did dream... He was with Dipper again, but of course it wasn’t the real Dipper, it was just a product of his subconscious, Let’s just say they had fun, lost of fun, and when Bill woke up he had to head to the bathroom immediately to take a cold shower, not wanting to take care of his problem this time.**

Dipper woke refreshed, for the first time in who knew how long, and smiled a little as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned. It was still early, so he didn't bother getting dressed, just stayed in his pajamas and sleep-tousled hair and head downstairs to make some cereal.

**Bill was already eating breakfast when the human decided to make an appearance. For what he could gather when he had walked into the kitchen, Ford had woken up even earlier than him and probably had left the shack, since he couldn’t see him there -and he wasn’t going to bother trying to look for him in the forest, he needed to start saving his energy wisely again, in case something more pressing came up. Bill only glanced up from his coffee at Dipper, but he didn’t greet him.**

Dipper smiled a little. "Morning," he hummed, yawning softly he as he started to make coffee for himself, pouring some of the sugary cereal Mabel kept hidden in the back into a bowl. "How'd you sleep?"

**Bill smiled a little and shrugged. “Good, dreams are annoying little things when you don’t have control over them though.” He wasn’t going to say more, Dipper didn’t need to know more. Bill took a long sip of his coffee.**

"You don't have control over your dreams?" He asked quietly, taking a seat across from him and digging into his sugary mess.

**"My subconscious is really strong. You know that if I wanted I could make you fall asleep right now but make sure you still thought you were awake? Imagine that kind of power working against you, it's harder to become aware that you're dreaming when a part of your own brain is doing everything it can to stop you." Dream demons weren't made for sleep. Or well, not for lucid dreaming and it sucked because that was the kind Bill enjoyed the most.**

Dipper nodded along slowly, clearly interested in what Bill had to say. "That's... that's really cool, though," he breathed, eyes bright. "That it works like that. Kinda sucks for you, but it's cool."

**"It definitely sucks for me. If you could get into my head I definitely wouldn't have the advantage. Lucky for me that's not possible. My mind is too complex for you humans." There were ways, but the humans that had managed to get inside in the past? Yeah, they suffered horrible and painful deaths.**

"I probably could if you let me," Dipper said in response, stirring his spoon around his bowl of milk slowly. "Cause I'm sure there are ways to do it, but I wouldn't do that to you."

**"I told you, I still need you alive and being able to form coherent thoughts." Bill didn't really believe Dipper about that, he knew that if something inside his brain could be the clue to keep his family safe forever then he wouldn't hesitate to go inside, even if the demon told him not to. Well, even if he did, he would end up dead, there was no risk.**

He shrugged a little. "I wasn't suggesting it, I was just saying. If you wanted to, you could probably show me. There's probably a difference between breaking in and being guided through." He stood, putting his dishes in the sink and stretching again, arms over his head and shirt rising up to flash a strip of skin.

**Bill's visible eye glanced at the exposed skin for a second and then he looked away. He hated that he felt even more out of control of his body after that kind of dream. "Not gonna happen, kid. Anyway," Bill finished his coffee and stood up. "I still have to work till your sister takes over, right? I'll see you after lunch." The demon said and left the kitchen, not bothering to clean his mug.**

"Hey, it's your head, what happens to it is entirely up to you," Dipper hummed, straightening out the fabric and scooping up Bill's cup. "Yeah. Alright, I'll see you later," he smiled a little, almost shyly, as he did the dishes and went upstairs to get dressed. Not in the nice clothes, Mabel picked out, he'd change later.

**Bill made sure everything was in order in the store and when it was time to open he did. It was a slow day, which sucked for the demon because it meant he couldn't use his mundane work to distract himself from everything that had been happening.**

Things dragged on for a while, but soon Mabel was skipping into the store. “Will! My turn, you have to go get ready! You can’t just wear the same thing.”

**Bill grinned and shook his head. "You really thought I would even consider that?" He asked raising an eyebrow, but before the other could answer he was out of the store, heading to his room. Ford wasn't around and he and Dipper would be going to the drive-in for the movie, he was sure, so there wouldn't be that many prying eyes... Maybe it was the perfect time to wear his new suit, he knew he would look amazing in it.**

Mabel just laughed, taking her place behind the counter. She really hoped this went well- Dipper was so happy when Will was around. 

Dipper looked in the mirror nervously, smoothing down his shirt and fixing the flannel  _ again. _ It didn’t really matter, this was a fake date after all, but... he really wanted to look nice. Wanted this to go well.

**Bill took a quick shower and then changed into his suit, decided to go with it. He had been dying to put it on since he had gotten it, okay? He knew it was a bit risky, but** **_it was just clothes_ ** **and most people in Gravity Falls were too stupid to make the connection. Bill made sure no one was around to see him and left the house, easily getting into Dipper's car and waiting for the other there.**

Dipper grabbed that hat and slid it on, rolling up the sleeves to the flannel and grabbing his wallet and keys. Not bad, if he did say so himself; Mabel was pretty good at this fashion thing. Calling a goodbye, he headed outside and slid into the car. “Hey, Bill,” he hummed, clicking in his belt before turning to face the other. “... oh..”

**Bill smirked. The other was clearly surprised by his attire. "Well, hello there, Pine Tree." Bill pulled Dipper's hat down a little, covering his eyes. "I was starting to miss that hat." He had thought maybe the human had gotten rid of it.**

Dipper laughed a little, fixing it so he could see again. “Yeah, nice to get back to basics,” he hummed, looking at the suit slowly. “It’s very you,” he murmured. “You look nice, Bill.”

**Yeah, he knew the other was going to say that, how could he not? He looked great. Not that he didn't always look great, but now he looked even better. "Might be a fake date, but that doesn't mean I won't try to blow your mind." Bill placed a hand on Dipper's thigh and grinned. "Metaphorically speaking, of course."**

Dipper just grinned, reaching out to tug on the tie just slightly, brushing his fingertips against Bill’s throat. “Of course,” he almost purred, pulling back to start the car. “Which movie did you want to see?”

**"Any horror movie will do, really." Bill turned a little to look out of the window and moved his hand away from the other. "By the way... I went to the statue yesterday. Tried to clean it up a little..." The demon closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm just telling you in case Fordsy asks you if you were there recently."**

“Alright. There’s a couple options, then,” Dipper said thoughtfully, focusing on the road ahead. He went still, before swallowing thickly and flashing a slightly weak grin. “Did you find any of the flowers I brought? Some of them might have survived, they were wrapped up pretty well.”

**Bill shook his head. He hadn't wanted to find them, the notes were enough. "No... I found some of the notes though. You should know I burned them." He said that last part under his breath and then cleared his throat a little. "You know, again, in case Fordsy asks you anything."**

Dipper tightened his hold on the steering wheel, gritting his teeth. “Oh yeah? Whatcha think of them.” He asked.

**"I don't think you really want to talk about that right now." Bill didn't, that was for sure. He had to tell Dipper that though, just in case, he had no idea if Ford had gone to the statue last night, but if he had he would have certainly noticed the changes.**

“I think, if you didn’t want to talk about it right now, you wouldn’t have brought it up right now,” Dipper countered, tapping his fingers against the wheel.

**Dipper had a point. He supposed that part of his brain did what to talk about it. "I... You had nightmares... You thought I was giving them to you?" He wondered if that had simply been the way Dipper had decided to deal with them or if he truly believed it.**

Dipper sighed a little. “I was losing my mind,” he said quietly. “The nightmares were  _ driving me insane. _ So... I thought maybe, I could see if it helped. If asking you to stop them helped. And it did, they stopped.”

**"It probably worked as a placebo." Bill glanced at Dipper and smiled a little. "I had nothing to do with them though." He wanted to ask what they were about if he was in them if he ever hurt him in them... But he didn't think it was the right time. Fake date or not, Bill wanted to enjoy himself and he didn't feel like having the kind of entertainment that involved Dipper having a breakdown.**

“Yeah, probably... and I know that, now... I just needed to try anything.” He returned the smile weakly. And after a few minutes of quiet, when it became clear that Bill wasn’t going to ask any more questions... he relaxed, letting out a slow breath. His shoulders loosened, hands stilled. “.. I’m turning on music, any requests?”

**"I'll let you pick that." Bill was already choosing the movie and Dipper had to pay for their dinner, so it seemed fair to the demon. "Where are we having dinner? Please tell me it's not at the woman with the weird eye's place..."**

“Alright.” He stopped at a stop sign, flipping through his phone before he found some quiet instrumental music, pianos, and violins mostly. “No, no,” he laughed. “It’s an actual restaurant. It’ll be nice, you’ll like it.”

**"Thank god, that diner is not worthy of my presence." He had dressed for a nice date not a place like** **_that one_ ** **. Though let's be honest, he would dress like this all the time if he could.**

“It’s not nice enough for a first date,” he agreed slightly, humming along with the soft strum of violin notes.

**"It's not nice enough for anything, I never understood why you guys went to that place so often." Bill rolled his eyes and looked out of the window again.**

“Because it was cheap?” Dipper grinned. “And Stan likes cheap. And then Mabel and I didn’t have a whole lot of money ourselves, especially while paying for school.”

**"Huh..." Bill hadn't thought of that. Money had only recently started being important for him and still, he was mostly living out of Pines' generosity. "You... have enough to pay for dinner, right?"**

“Yeah,” Dipper hummed, nodding a little. “The Shack isn’t my only job, I have a couple online ones from school. It’s fine.” Barely. He’d be barely fine, but dammit, he was going to do this properly.

**Bill thought about offering Dipper some help, he had the clothes he needed already and he didn't have use for the rest of his money since he wasn't paying rent nor for any of the food, he was taking from the Pines but... In the end, he didn't. Why would he do something like that anyway? He was already being really nice to Dipper, he needed to draw a line. "Good, I don't want to end up having to wash dishes." He said instead.**

Dipper nodded a little, biting his inner cheek. Things would be fine. He’d never really worried about money before, the store was doing well, he was almost done paying off the loans from school... Yeah. It would be okay. “I’m sure you could just play piano for them instead.”

**"Oh, you'd love that, wouldn't you? You'd just sit there and enjoy the music, I'd have to do all the hard work." Bill laughed and moved closer to Dipper. "Anyway... I've heard people have a lot of fun in movies… I’m actually pretty excited about that." He smirked and caressed the human's cheek with the back of his hand.**

“No, I’m sure I’d have to do something!” He laughed, shaking his head slowly. Dipper bit his cheek again, tasting blood after a few moments. “Yeah, like watching the movie. That’s fun.”

**Bill noticed and gave the other an annoyed look. "Stop that, you're hurting yourself." He told him and moved away, giving him space once again. He hated that now he felt he had to be really careful around Pine Tree, it was no fun.**

Dipper shrugged a little. “I’m fine. I’m always fine.” Shifting a little, he was soon paying for tickets to the goriest, scariest horror movie at the drive-in, humming a little as he parked the car. “There.”

**Bill snickered a little. "This is going to be awesome! I've never actually** **_seen_ ** **a movie before." Most of the knowledge he had about the world came through other people's minds. "I'll get the popcorn." They still have about ten minutes before the movie started and Bill wanted to get the full experience.**

Dipper chuckled, pointing to a small building. “Snacks are over there. It shouldn’t be too expensive.”

**"Great, I'll be right back." The demon got out of the car and went to get him and Dipper then biggest popcorn bucket he could buy. He wasn't worried about anyone recognizing him because 1) most people were busy making out in their cars and 2) again, the people of Gravity Falls? Not the most clever humans out there.**

The person behind the counter clearly didn’t recognize him, handing over the popcorn and asking about sodas.

**"Oh, yes, that too." Which one was the one Dipper liked... "Two Pitts, please." He said and grinned.**

He slid a couple cans across the counter and took the money, handing back change. “All set.”

**"Thanks. 8th of November 2030, better don't drive on that day." He told the guy and winked before heading back to Dipper's car.**

He paused, frowning, before shaking his head and moving on. 

**"Got everything, you liked this one, didn't you, Pine Tree?" Bill handed Dipper a can and made himself comfortable on his seat.**

Dipper smiled a little, taking the can. “Yeah, I do. Thanks, Bill.” He cracked it open and took a sip, setting it in a cup holder and fiddling with the dial slightly- wanting to get the perfect volume

**Bill grabbed a handful of popcorn and filled his mouth with them. "Mmm." He chewed for a while and swallowed. "This is good." There were still so many things he hadn't tried, but he didn't usually have the chance since he didn't leave the shack much.**

Dipper chuckled. "Good, I'm glad you like it." He reached over, grabbing a couple pieces to pop into his mouth.

**Bill moved a little bit closer to Dipper and placed the bucket between them. “This kind of movie won’t give you nightmares, right?”**

Dipper shook his head, smiling a little. "No, it won't. Thank you for your concern, though..."

**“It’s not a concern...” Bill said, keeping his eyes on the screen in front of them, even though the movie hadn’t started. “Just don’t want you asking me to go into your dreams every night to play the piano...”**

"Would you, if I asked?" He questioned softly, turning in his seat to watch Bill. "If the... Would you play the piano for me every night?"

**Bill groaned and rubbed his eyes, pushing the eyepatch out of the way, since he didn’t really need it at the moment. “Depends, really. What would you offer me in exchange?” His right eye turned blue for a brief second.**

Dipper reached out to gently tug the string, untying the patch. It was dark outside already, it always got dark so early in this part of town, shadowed by the mountains and the forest, and the lights were off to wait for the movie. He could get away with it. "What would you want in exchange?"

**Bill was a bit confused again, having expected Dipper to try to put some distance between them and not actually ask. He didn’t let it show, though. “I don’t know...” His mind was nice enough to remind him of the dream he had had. Bill bit his lip. He should be avoiding this... “We had fun the other night, didn’t we, sapling?” He said and placed a hand on Dipper’s thigh, really fucking close to his crotch.**

Dipper stilled, holding the eyepatch in his hands and looking at the fabric. "Yeah, I suppose we did," he agreed, clearing his throat and refusing to look at Bill.

**“Maybe... we could...” Bill stroked Dipper’s thigh slowly as he checked him out. He cupped the human’s face with his free hand and made him look at him. He was about to finish his proposal when the start of the movie interrupted him and made his attention turn back to the screen. He glanced at Dipper one last time and then moved away. “We’ll discuss it later.” The demon said and grabbed another handful of popcorn.**

Dipper was incredibly thankful for the movie flickering to life, he wasn’t sure how he was going to get out of that situation. No. no they wouldn’t be doing that. He focused on the movie, continuing to slowly munch on the popcorn.

* * *

**Bill loved the movie. Sure, plot-wise it was pretty dumb, but the effects! It almost looked real! And seeing the characters try to escape the monster was simply hilarious. At some points during the movie, Bill ended up laughing himself to tears.**

Dipper enjoyed the movie about as much as any other horror movie, smiling a little and murmuring ways the could have done that so much better, are you kidding me, that was so obviously a trap under his breath. And listening to Bill laugh was a nice surprise.

**When the movie was finally over the demon felt ecstatic. So far, I His short life as a human, this had been the best two hours he had lived through. “That was incredible! You need to show me more of this, sapling, it was definitely a lot better than experiencing them through someone else’s memories.” The demon laughed and leaned a little against Dipper. “And that ending? I loved it. The kids are oh so sure they defeated the monster but nope, he’s still out there to get revenge!”**

Dipper laughed, shaking his head slowly. "Yeah, sure, I can show you a bunch of movies you might like." He nodded a little, gently pressing their shoulders together. "I could have done that so much better! There was so much evidence that they should have been using but no, no, they had to be idiots."

**Bill huffed a laugh and rolled his eyes. "Are you sure? You remember I'm still right here, do you? Alive and well? With a physical body too..." He did believe Dipper and Mabel would have given that monster a challenge though, the twins were not to be underestimated. Not that he would ever tell that to Dipper.**

"You're a lot harder to deal with then that thing ever would be," Dipper laughed, grinning a little as he finished his soda. "We have a little time before dinner, anything you want to do while we kill some time?"

**The demon grinned and turned a little to face Dipper. "How about we finish that conversation we were having earlier..." He said and put his hands on either side of Dipper, trapping him even more than he already was. Unfortunately, one of the drive-in's employees approached Dipper's car and tapped on the glass a couple times.**

**"Movie's over. Next one is in an hour and you need to leave."**

Dipper jumped, laughing a little as he nodded. "Yeah, we were just on our way out," he assured, smiling brightly and gently pushing Bill back into his seat so he could start the car. Once the employee was out of the way, he carefully pulled out, hitting the road.

**Bill huffed in annoyance and grabbed his eyepatch, putting it on just in case. "You're not always going to be saved, kid, we're finishing that conversation." He told the human and took a sip of his soda, finally finishing it.**

"So start talking, we've got nowhere to be," Dipper hummed, focusing on the road and tapping his fingers along to the soft music he'd started again.

**Bill shook his head and glanced at Dipper with a smirk on his face. "It's way more fun when I can invade your personal space. Pull over."**

Dipper sighed a little, watching the road and finding a side street he could head down, pulling over along the side of it.

**And again the human surprised him. He was sure he hadn't been exactly comfortable earlier, but he still did what Bill told him, despite knowing what was coming. "I like it when you listen to me."**

Dipper cleared his throat softly. "Yeah, most people like to be listened to," he said conversationally.

**"So, I was saying earlier..." Bill grabbed Dipper's chin and made him look at him in the eyes. "We had fun, didn't we?"**

Dipper flushed, nodding slowly and letting out a weak breath. "Yeah, that was great, that one-time thing was really fun."

**"Come on, Pine Tree... I know you want it again..." He obviously did, he still had that stupid crush on him after all, if he couldn't get rid of that then he couldn't get rid of his sexual desires either.**

"You know, I am actually trying to get over you," he breathed, shifting away slightly. "Having sex seems like the opposite of a solution."

**"It doesn't have to mean anything." Bill moved closer once again as the other tried to get away. One of his hands went to Dipper's waist and played with the hem of his shirt. "It would be just another deal. I'd play the piano whenever you wanted, nobody loses."**

"I lose," Dipper whispered, delicate shivers breaking out along his body.

**"No, you don't." Bill leaned forward and whispered in Dipper's ear. "I know you like it." The demon then nipped a little at the other's neck. It seemed like a good time to feed.**

"Yes, I do," he managed, breath catching and another shiver running over him. God, he did, he wanted this so much. Whimpering a little, he tipped his head back, a silent invitation.

**The demon smirked and then sank his teeth into Dipper's neck. As he fed, the hand that was playing with the other's shirt moved to the front of Dipper's pants and felt him up a little. He told himself he was just doing it because he liked to take advantage of Dipper, that it had nothing to do with the fact that he was trying to distract the human from the pain of the bite.**

Dipper squirmed, the softest whine catching in his throat. One hand curled into Bill's hair, not quite hard enough to hurt. He needed this to stop, wanted to push Bill away, but his resistance was falling apart under the teeth in his neck and the palm against his crotch.

**Bill rubbed him a little more and then he worked open the jeans, slipping his hand inside. He was feeding slower than usual, wanting it to last but not looking for Dipper to pass out.**

"Bill..." he whimpered, carding his fingers through the blond strands. "Bill, w-wait, don-" his words were cut off by a soft groan.

**The demon let got of Dipper's neck for a moment, letting the blood drip down to his chest. "Don't worry, Pine Tree, I'll make you feel good." He murmured seductively in his ear as he wrapped his hand around Dipper's cock. The demon then licked the other's neck and returned to suck on the bite.**

He was completely falling apart, there was really no hope in him continuing to say no. The next sound was louder, less tense as Dipper moaned again.

**Bill could tell Dipper wouldn't push him away, so he took a few more drops of blood and then closed the wound to focus completely on giving the human the handjob of his life. "I knew you'd like this deal." He ran his thumb over the slit and gently nibbled at the human's earlobe.**

Dipper turned his head slightly, eyes squeezing shut as he gave himself up to Bill, to the pleasure and his touch. "Oh..." His hips bucked slightly.

**Bill chuckled and started stroking Dipper a little faster. He was really enjoying this. Even if it seemed that, at the moment, Dipper was the only one getting something out of it, Bill just loved to have the human at his mercy. That in itself was more than pleasurable for the demon.**

Dipper bit his lip, gasping around muffled and choked back noises of pleasure. He never told anyone, but he... really liked the feeling of being controlled. At someone else's mercy. And Bill was really good at that. "Oh, oh god... Bill.."

**"How badly do you want to come, sapling?" Bill moved to straddle Dipper's lap and his free hand went under his shirt. Careful not to cause too much damage, he scratched Dipper's back.**

Dipper arched under him, keening as nails scraped down his skin. "Please, Bill, oh god, please!"

**"You're so pretty when you beg." Bill was tempted to draw it out, to make Dipper beg until he cried, desperate for release, but... maybe it was too soon for something like that, he really wanted the other to accept this other deal -anything to make those frustrating dreams stop-, he couldn't scare him away. The demon stroked him faster, massaging the slit a couple of times.**

Dipper flushed, moaning louder at the comment. Bill clearly liked the begging, which was good- so did Dipper. "Bill, Bill," he whimpered. "Fuck, oh, oh god, pleaASE!" His voice jumped an octave as the demon rubbed along the slit- shit he was already so close.

**"Come on, kid, I want you to make a mess." The demon whispered and then latched on to Dipper's neck and started sucking a hickey. He wanted everyone to be able to tell that Dipper Pines had given in to him. He was sure Everyone's reaction would be hilarious and Dipper was going to be so embarrassed. Bill looked forward to those moments, it was a kind of torture he could get away with.**

Dipper almost sobbed as he arched under him, thrashing slightly as he came in Bill's hand, still trapped in his pants. He was whimpering as he came down, tipping his head, clearly wanting Bill to keep sucking at his neck.

**Bill sucked for a little while longer as he slowly milked Dipper's cock to the last drop. Once he felt it was enough he pulled away and got his hand out of his pants. Keeping eye contact with the human, he licked his hand clean, making a point to moan at the taste of the other man. When he was done he cupped Dipper's face with that same hand and smirked. "Do we have another deal then?"**

Dipper shivered and squirmed, making soft, gaspy little sounds. Blinking up at him, slightly dazed, he nodded. "y-yeah... We h-ave a deal."

**"Good choice." Bill made his hand go up in flames and grabbed Dipper's to shake it. It was just a formality, to be honest, simply because the demon liked being overdramatic.**

Dipper took his hand, before sighing a little. Might as well enjoy it, right? Slowly, he tripped his fingers down Bill's chest. "What about you?" he murmured, finally reaching his pants and tugging lightly.

**Bill shook his head and pushed Dipper's hands out of the way, gently. "I got what I wanted already, don't worry, my sapling." He reassured him and moved back to his seat. "Also, we should go have dinner, don't you think?"**

Dipper closed his eyes for a moment as he sat up and straightened his clothes. Oh... adding the word My to the name Sapling didn't make him hate it so much... Shit, he was so fucked. "Yeah, we should," he agreed.

**Bill smirked and looked away. He had him, he could tell he had him. Now at least he felt like he was in control of the situation.**

Dipper curled his hands into the wheel, holding tightly as he focused on the road to get them there. No... no, this was... oh no, he hated this, Bill Cipher was going to be the reason he fell apart again and why couldn't he just keep away- Nothing showed on his face, and soon enough he was parking.

**Bill smiled all the way to the restaurant. He loved this. Every once in a while he would sneak a peek at Dipper’s face to try to figure out what the other was thinking. It was amusing that he was trying so hard to keep it hidden. Once they parked, Bill walked out of the car first and opened Dipper’s door for him, offering him his hand. He could be a true gentleman if he wanted to.**

Dipper pulled his keys out of the car, pocketing them and closing his eyes tightly for a moment. Okay, he could do this. He just... he couldn't do this. He looked up at Bill, glancing at his hand and biting his lip firmly before taking it and standing.

**Bill pulled Dipper up and wrapped an arm around his waist as they walked to the restaurant. “I have to admit, you picked a really nice place.” He said once they were inside. It wasn’t too elegant, but just enough to be the kind of place Bill wouldn’t mind being seen frequenting.**

Dipper barely stopped himself from flinching out his arm, still fairly tense as they headed up to the restaurant. "Thanks," he murmured, struggling a little to get the mask back in place. They were shown to a table, and Dipper pulled out of Bill's hold to take a seat.

**Bill sat down at well and thanked their waiter as he handed them their menus. He tried to focus on the food and pick something, but Dipper’s ‘nothing’s wrong, everything’s perfect expression’ was starting to get on his nerves. Bill lowered the menu. “What is it, kid? You should be a lot more relaxed, what’s the point of what I did if it doesn’t help you relax not even a little bit?”**

Dipper shook his head a little, looking over the menu. "I'm fine, Bill," he said simply, flashing a small smile before staring down at the menu again. He wasn't even reading it, just spacing out over the words.

"What do you want to eat?"

**Bullshit. But whatever, Bill would deal with it. “You tell me, you’re the expert on human food.” Their table was rather isolated, so Bill wasn’t worried about someone else overhearing them.**

Dipper forced his eyes to focus on what he was reading, scanning it quickly. "Chicken Alfredo is good. So is spaghetti, or burgers or fish. I don't know what you like."

**Bill shrugged. “Burgers I like, spaghetti is good.” He hadn’t tried that much human food, it wasn’t like there was such a big menu at the Mystery Shack. “Just pick something for me, anything you think I might enjoy. I trust you.” He grinned.**

"Chicken Alfredo it is," Dipper hummed, glancing up with a little smile. He could pretend, again, that it was okay... "I think you'll like it."

**“Great. You could choose something different for yourself and maybe we could share?” That way he would be trying two different things, it sounded like a good idea. Besides, humans were all about sharing, weren’t they? He had the feeling Dipper would like that.**

Dipper nodded slowly, smiling again- a little more real this time. "I'll get lasagna," he hummed, shutting the menu and setting it aside.

**"Great," Bill called their waiter and placed their order, making sure he didn't sound demanding and thanking the man before he was gone. Once that was done he turned back to Dipper, leaning forward a little bit. "Tell me something." He knew that humans used this kind of events to get to know each other or talk about their lives... He knew a lot about Dipper already, but not all there was to know, so he was going to take advantage of their date, even if it was fake.**

Dipper also tacked on a couple glasses of water, humming faintly as he lightly tapped his fingers against the table. The glasses were dropped off quickly, and he looked up at Bill. "What do you want to know?"

**"What have you been up to while I was gone, I suppose." Bill took a sip of his water and then called the waiter again, remembering something. He asked him to bring their best wine. He wasn't going to be drinking water when wine was available. "Anything you want, really. That's what dates are for, right? Talking?"**

"Sure. Real ones are," Dipper said, voice just the slightest bit dark and... sad? Maybe. "I haven't been doing much. School, college, running the shop. Therapy and hospitals. It's been a long, quiet ten years."

**So, not talking about the hospitals, he wanted Dipper to have a good time again. For selfish purposes, of course, no other reason. "College isn't supposed to be quiet Pine Tree, didn't you party? Meet people?" He wiggled his eyebrows.**

"I met some people, did some parties." Dipper shrugged a little. "I was mostly quiet in college, though. I was there to get a degree, I didn't want to spend a bunch of time with people I didn't relate to."

**Bill groaned and ran a hand through his face. "Why are you so much like Sixer?" Boring, so boring. He was going to have to take Dipper to a party, see what he had been missing during his college years, that was for sure. Again, selfish reasons.**

"You say that like it's a bad thing. I like Ford." He took a drink of his water. "But just because I was mostly quiet doesn't mean I never did anything interesting. I built up a pretty high alcohol tolerance over those four years."

**"Ford was 60 at 30, Pine Tree, he never did anything fun. Do you have any idea how many games of cosmic chest I had to endure?" Don't get him wrong, he loved a good game of chest, just not all the time when you could be doing a lot of other things in the dreamscape. "Okay, tell me, what did you do?"**

"I still went to parties. I had more one night stands than I can remember, partly because I was too drunk to remember anything about my partner," he started, smirking a little. "Someone got me into drugs, and I got myself off them again, in a semester."

**"Oh, so you had fun," Bill smirked. Now he wanted to learn more about that part of Dipper Pines' life.**

**The waiter was back with their wine and he poured both Bill and Dipper a glass. Bill thanked him and took a sip. It was good.**

**"What was your poison?"**

Dipper took a sip, humming softly. "Weed, ecstasy, cocaine, meth, LSD. Weed stuck for a while, almost an entire year, but I didn't get hooked on the others. Not too badly, anyway."

**"Huh, interesting... Weed I was expecting but didn't think you'd be the kind to go for more." Bill had the feeling that period of Dipper's life had to do with the fact that he was going downhill. He wasn't going to bring that up.**

"It was a long couple of years. And when I wasn't in class or doing drugs, I was drinking anything I could get my hands on. Or having sex." Dipper shrugged a little, taking another sip.

**"I take it back, you're definitely not that much like Fordsy." Bill grinned and took another sip of his wine. He wished he had been there to see how broken Dipper had been. Though a part of his mind kept thinking he never wanted to see Pine Tree get that low.**

"That's both a good and a bad thing," he said simply, looking around slightly. "So... did you do anything over the past ten years? Or was it just a few minutes for you."

**"Felt like minutes, but then again, I was dead, so maybe it was actually ten years before the Axolotl answered my call." There had been nothing, those years didn't exist in Bill's mind. "So when I woke up the first thing I remembered was Stan punching me in the eye. It still hurt too."**

"Yeah, but you deserved it," he said serenely, with a happy smile.

**"If you say so." Bill rolled his eye. He was going to say something else but their waiter interrupted them again, this time with their food, which didn't bother Bill since he was looking forward to trying it.**

"I do say so," he grinned, sitting back as their plates were set in front of them. Taking his fork, he took a bite. "Oh, yum.."

**Bill decided to take a bite from Dipper's lasagna first. He hummed a little at the taste and nodded. "Definitely good." He said once he had swallowed. "I think you're just saying that because you like me like this better." He added and winked.**

"Well, you are more attractive this way," he said with a smirk, reaching across the table to steal a bite from Bill's plate. "Your's is good too."

**"Glad you like this meatsack more than I do." Though the demon had to admit it definitely had its perks. Bill took a bite of his food as well and nodded. He liked the lasagna better, but his food was pretty good as well.**

"Why don't you like it?" He asked, starting to eat again.

**"Too fragile," Bill explained and took another bite of his food. "Probably because part of me is sort of human though, once I get my power back that should change."**

“You just need to be a tiny bit more careful,” he hummed, smirking a little as he finished his wine.

**"It's annoying. I get tired, I need to eat, shower. I enjoy those though." He definitely enjoyed showers more than sleeping, because they helped him to relax, like a good night of sleep, but he was still in control.**

“Have you been sleeping?” He asked, picking out one of those things to keep the conversation going. “I remember you saying before, that you had weird dreams that were keeping you up.

**"I've been sleeping, just not as much as you. Around 5 or 4 hours every night." It seemed to be enough for him though, so it didn't bother him. "Don't worry, I think your blood helps me with that, gives me an extra boost," Bill smirked and took a sip of his wine, then poured himself another glass.**

He nodded a little, taking the bottle to top off his glass. “Good. That’s good.”

**Bill just stared at Dipper for a long moment. Was that a fond smile on his face? Maybe... He shook his head and sighed, then looked down at his plate. "I really find it adorable that you worry about me, Pine Tree." He said and took a bite.**

Dipper shrugged a little, cutting up the noodles and almost taking it apart. "That's what you do when you care about someone," he mumbled weakly, downing the next glass of wine before filling it again.

**"And you care about me, you even admit it, really, it's adorable." Bill almost wished he couldn't just tell Ford without risking his life. How would he react if he found out that his nephew cared and was also screwing Bill Cipher? Maybe he would have a heart attack.**

"I keep hoping that if I admit it enough times, either I'll get used to it, or I'll move on," Dipper explained, that fond smile that had been there slipping into something... small, and fragile and sad. Quickly, he shook his head and smiled again. "Is there anything you want to do after this?"

**"Maybe I'll let you choose this time." Bill definitely wanted to have some time alone with Dipper, away from anyone that might interrupt them, but he had his fun already and he felt like letting the other decide.**

"Hmm... well. Maybe a walk. The park is going to be empty, we could go there," he mused, sipping his wine again.

**"Sure." He would have preferred the woods, but Dipper probably wanted a change of scenery, since he knew those woods like the palm of his hand.**

Dipper smiled softly. "Alright. Eat up, then." He turned his attention to his meal, tugging on the flannel sleeve slightly.

**Bill moved his attention back to his food. He was almost done. The demon had kinda wanted to go for dessert, but maybe there would be another time for that.**

Dipper paused, looking over the dessert menu. "Do you like sweet things?"

**"I do." Bill grinned. So, maybe there would be time for dessert after all. He wondered how much they had spent already... Nah, he didn't care, if Dipper wanted to use all his money on this fake date that was more than okay.**

"Wanna split something?" He asked, nudging the menu closer to the demon across from him.

**"Mmm..." Bill red all their options and thought for a moment. "The Devil's food cake sounds good. Lava cake sounds good too... So either one of those or the Red Velvet."**

Dipper laughed, laying the menu flat and closing his eyes. He spun it around and pressed his finger down, cracking open his eyes. "Lava cake it is."

**Bill laughed. "I like that decision-making technique." Bill took the menu and handed it back to their waiter when he came to get their empty plates. He asked for the lava cake, letting him know they would be sharing.**

Dipper grinned. "Thanks, I tend to find it works pretty well for most things." He leaned back, folding his hands in his lap.

**"Yeah? Did you decide to return to Gravity Falls like that?" Bill was surprised, after learning what he had about how Dipper had been in the last ten years, that he had come back if he had to be honest.**

"No. I didn't have anywhere else to go. I wasn't going back to live with my parents," he frowned, shaking his head. "And I like it here. I like the woods and the shack, and seeing Mabel and Stan and Ford."

**"Why didn't you want to go back to them?" Bill asked, frowning a little. That was something he had never bothered to learn about, it simply hadn't been a part of Dipper's family that interested the demon.**

"Because they didn't understand. They were pushing therapy and pills and trying to get me locked up in hospital. I just couldn't do it anymore, I couldn't risk it. I was done. At least here, people get it. And they let me be me."

**"I see." It made sense, he knew the twins hadn't told their parents about what had happened, which he found odd, but also understandable. He supposed Dipper felt Gravity Falls was more his home than any other place. "Well, without you here I'd have gotten bored rather fast, so I'm glad you decided to come back. Pine Tree."**

"Maybe you would have left things alone if I wasn't here, though. So.. pros and cons, I guess." The cake was delivered, with two forks and a smile.

**Bill shook his head and laughed. "You really think so? How cute. I'd probably have had to find another way to get my power back. Most likely I would have burned down the shack while Sixer wasn't there, just to get to the underground lab." Bill smirked. Sure, he would have risked getting a few important things destroyed, but he would have gotten bored of the slow way pretty fast if it wasn't for Pine Tree.**

"You would have burnt down the lab at the same time, then," Dipper hummed, leaning forward to take a bite of the cake. "Oh, oh god, yum. Try this."

**Bill shrugged. "Well, it would have been a nice revenge if anything." The demon took a bite and moaned at the taste, closing his eyes and everything. It was definitely the best thing he had tried on that day.**

Dipper chuckled. "Glad you like it," he hummed, taking another bite.

**"I might have to learn to make this." There was no way he would get something like this in the Mystery Shack, not unless he made it himself.**

"We can make a day of it, gathering up some cake recipes and trying to make them."

**"Yes, definitely." Bill was getting too caught up in the moment and the thing was... He wasn't aware, he had let his guard down, quite a lot, the whole thing felt real.**

Dipper grinned, just careful enough to know it's not real but not careful enough to care that much. "We'll have to start looking things up when we get home, find the ingredients."

**Bill nodded and took a large bite of the lava cake, stuffing his mouth. He kinda wanted it all for himself now.**

Dipper laughed, bright and open and wonderful, taking one last small bite before pushing it closer to the demon. "Go ahead, finish it."

**Bill raised an eyebrow, but he didn't question Dipper, not wanting to give him the chance to change his mind. He enjoyed every single bite just as much as the first one, in fact, if they hadn't been in such a secluded area of the restaurant, people would have turned to look at him because of the noises he made.**

Dipper just smiled, resting his elbow on the table and his head in his hand. He could pretend it was real, after all, and right now it really felt like an honest to god date.

**Once Bill was done he pushed the plate away and grinned at Dipper. "That was almost as good as your blood." He said and called their waiter to get the check.**

Dipper laughed, almost surprised. But happy and bright. "I'll use some when we make it," he assured, grinning happily as he took the check and dug his wallet free, passing it back with the correct amount of cash and dropping some bills on the table. "Ready?"

**Oh, he loved that idea, how come he hadn't thought about it! He would make sure the other wouldn't forget. "Not taking that back." He warned the other and stood up. "If you are." He moved closer to Dipper and wrapped an arm around his waist to keep him close. As they walked out of the restaurant Bill noticed some people murmured about them, but he didn't care enough to listen.**

"Do you really think I would say it to you if I didn't plan on doing it?" Dipper asked, standing as well and settling his hand over Bill's. He also ignored the others that whispered about the two young men wrapped up in each other's arms- speaking of... for someone who was only using this to keep Ford of his back, Bill was putting a lot of unnecessary effort into a fake date.

**"Just making sure, I wouldn't want to have a reason to get angry at you, not while in the Mystery Shack, with your family around." Bill opened the car door for Dipper and then walked around the car and got inside himself.**

"I know better than that," Dipper assured as he climbed into the car, heading for the park once Bill was settled next to him.

**The park was completely empty, just like Dipper had promised, maybe it wasn't as secluded as the woods, but it was fine and at least here Bill knew they wouldn't be running into Sixer -he knew that man could head into the Gravity Fall's woods at any time, even in the middle of the night, he was obsessed like that-.**

They walked around for a few minutes before Dipper head for the swings, picking up his pace slightly and grabbing the chain as he sat down. In moments, he was in the air, smiling a little as he leaned back in the swing.

**The demon... wasn't expecting this sort of activity... But he would have to deal with it now, he had let Dipper choose after all. He leaned against a tree and watched the other for a while. For the first time since their thing had sort of started, he was able to stop overthinking about it.**

Dipper continued to swing, higher and higher, forced wind stealing his hat and wiping through his hair. The blue-billed article hit the dart, but he clearly didn't care.

**Bill huffed a laugh and made the hat come to him, then he walked towards the swing and slowly made it stop until he was able to stand in front of Dipper without worrying about getting hit. "You don't want to miss this, do you?" Bill put the hat back on its rightful place on top of Dipper's head.**

Dipper frowned a little, but of course, he stopped kicking as the swing was slowed against his will. "I was going to pick it up," he hummed, leaning forward to make it easier for him.

**"Well, I saved you the trouble." Bill grabbed the human's hand and pulled him up, then he sat on the swing himself, pulling Dipper onto his lap. It was a little hard to keep balance, but the demon managed.**

"Yes, you did. Thanks." Dipper wobbled a little, but he had been in this position before- though neither he nor the other boy had been nearly this tall- and he soon found his balance, wrapping his arms around the chains.

**"How are you feeling, Pine Tree?" Bill asked after a moment of silence. "Be honest, remember it's not easy to fool me." Bill felt like he had done a pretty good job today.**

Dipper looked thoughtful, taking his time coming up with an answer to the question. Slowly, he leaned back, looking up at the night sky, finding constellations, the chains digging into the crooks of his elbows just slightly. "I think... I'm pretty happy right now," he murmured. "And I hate it."

**"That makes no sense. But if you'd rather be miserable just let me know and I'll help you with that." The demon grinned and gently caressed Dipper's cheek with the back of his hand, then he slowly ran his thumb through the other's lower lip.**

Dipper jumped, nearly losing his balance and sitting up quickly, steadying them again. "It makes perfect sense," he argues, letting go of one of the chains to bat Bill's hand away. "I'm happy because you're making me happy. And you're making me happy so you can use my feelings against me, and as soon as you're done, you're going to drop me. Because you don't give a fuck, and I know that. I really do. But it's really hard to keep things straight when you flip between Bill and Will!"

**Bill groaned, quite annoyed by the ruined moment. He had been doing a good job! A great job actually! But Dipper had to go and state the oh so terrible truth. Maybe it was better that way though, Bill had to recognize he had been losing himself a little in the acting. "Do you realize that you're ruining this thing yourself, right? I didn't have to do anything." He rolled his eyes. For a moment he thought about pushing Dipper away but in the end, he decided to go with the opposite and wrapped an arm around Dipper, placing his hand on his ass.**

Dipper flipped. Something in him snapped, a growl escaped through clenched teeth. His eyes flashed, dark and dangerous, angry and hurt and sad, and this was Bill's first real view of the desperate, broken man that could fight his way free from anything in the woods but would rather just lay down and let something end him. Wedging his arm between his body and Bill's arm, he grabbed him, forcing his arm off him, up. Putting a foot down to keep from falling, he slid off Bill's lap, only letting go when he was standing. "Didn't have to do anything?!" He screamed, and there were tears in his eyes that gave them a sick, glassy look. "I've been playing to your tune this entire time! Hunkering down with you in tree forts and cuddling after you drink from me, taking you on a date and sitting on the swing and you! Acting like this is normal, that it's real, that I don't die a little bit each time you smile at me like you actually care!" There they were, the tears sliding down his cheeks as he choked on his breathing, trying not to just fall apart and sob in front of Bill fucking Cipher. "I can't do this, Bill! I can't be a tool and a partner and a fuckbuddy and a sometimes date, whenever you feel like it! I was just starting to get myself back together after the last time you fucked me over." He stumbled back a couple steps, covering his mouth with a shaking hand.

**Bill gulped and just stared at Dipper for a long moment, unsure about what to do next. This was exactly what he had wanted to avoid, he couldn't let the human break down like this when he needed him sane and thinking clearly. God, it made him feel so fucking guilty, he just wanted to get rid of this stupid human vessel and its stupid emotions for once was that really so much to ask?! He really didn't get what he was doing wrong! If he treated Dipper like he usually did, the kid was miserable and if he tried to be nice he was miserable too! How was he supposed to act then!? There was also the fact that around others he had to act like everything was okay, like he was Will, his life depended on it. Bill pinched the bridge of his nose, took a deep breath and stood up. Slowly he approached Dipper but kept some distance between them. "I'm... S... sorry?" He supposed that was the best response? Then again, Dipper wouldn't believe him, he would think it was all part of an act again, there really seemed to be no right way for Bill to act. "What do you want me to do, Pine Tree? I'm starting to feel a bit lost."**

"STOP CALLING ME PINE TREE!" It was just one more straw, the only thing he'd asked Bill to change about them, to just fucking stop with the nickname. "I just want you to be honest, is that so hard! I just need to know, without a doubt, without any pretense or fucking acts, where we stand!" His next breath was a sob; an aching, broken sound that clearly spelled out just how shattered he was. "Because I can't tell," he whispered like he was just too tired to keep screaming- and his shoulders hunched forward and his arms wrapped around himself protectively. "I can't tell where the act ends and real begins with you, not when you do things like playing the piano for me when there's no one around to catch you, or when you actually wanted to go out on a date instead of just sitting here, in the park for long enough to fake it. Why do you want to do all the real relationship stuff when all you want is to use me to get your powers back? You don't even like me!"

**Bill closed his eyes and tried to think about what to say. The truth was, and he really needed to stop lying to himself, the truth was he didn't even know himself where they stood. It was really confusing for the demon, okay? He wasn't sure if it was the whole being sort of human thing, spending way too long around them or just being on a physical plane of existence for way too long... He didn't know what was it, but something had changed in him, he had been forced to experience all those feelings for the first time in who knows how long and they confused him. And they scared him too, they scared the shit out of him. The problem was, telling that to Dipper would make it real, as if he was giving up and accepting this was his life now, he didn't want that. But he had to say something, at least part of the truth. "I don't know." He finally murmured. "I... Mason, I don't know. I can't tell either."**

Dipper didn't answer for a long time. He stared off to the side and let the breeze dry his tears and curled his fingers into his shirt as he kept his arms around himself... but he didn't say anything. Bill didn't know either, and for once, he believed him. Dipper thought that the demon might be telling the truth this time. It could have been for any number of reasons, but really... there was a good chance Bill just didn't understand feelings, so he didn't know what he was feeling right then. Slowly, finally, the human took a deep breath, scrubbed at his eyes, stood up straight- chest out, shoulders squared- tired but ready to carry the weight of the world again. "We should figure that out, then. Soon. Now."

**"Now? How?" Bill took a step closer to Dipper, paying close attention to his reaction. He didn't want to overstep, something he wasn't used to, but again, when it came to Dipper his mind seemed to be a complete mess, as well as his behavior. "We should just head back, you need to rest." Bill offered Dipper his hand to take and a soft smile, unlike the one he usually had.**

"By talking, like any other normal set of people when they're trying to figure out what's going on." Dipper drew himself up a little taller when Bill came closer, eyeing him for a moment and visibly hesitating- hand coming up to take his, pausing- before sighing softly and taking his hand. "This isn't over," he said firmly, coming forward slowly, closing most of the space between them. "We're talking about this. We have to."

**Bill sighed and looked away, but he nodded. "Alright, sure. Tomorrow though." He glanced back at Dipper and gave him a worried look. "Sleeping will be good for you, I don't think you're in the right mind to talk now, Pine-" The demon shook his head. "Mason." He couldn't believe that he was really making the effort for something so insignificant as a nickname. "Come on." He gently tugged Dipper back to the car. "Maybe I should drive?"**

"Tomorrow," Dipper agreed, tightening his hold on Bill's hand. Tomorrow- it would happen, it would, nothing would stop him. He barked a dark laugh. "You're probably right, but really, when am I ever in the right mind to talk about anything, Bill?" Still... he smiled a little at the correction. He was trying. "Do you know how?" He asked, already taking the keys out of his pocket.

**"Yes." In theory... But that was usually enough for the demon, so he felt confident simply saying yes. There was no traffic as well, so really, how hard could it be? Bill made the human get into the passenger's seat and then went to sit behind the wheel. In less than 15 minutes they were back at the Mystery Shack without a scratch. Just in time too since it seemed there was a big storm coming.**

Dipper gave up the keys without much of a fight, resting his head against the window as he let Bill get them back to the Shack. God... he was so tired, he didn't remember the last time he was this exhausted. Looking up, he opened the door and stepped out, waiting for Bill before heading through the door.

**Bill walked in behind Dipper, not even bothering to check if anyone was around. His mind was somewhere else at the moment and it couldn't be bothered by the possibility of Ford or anyone else seeing him in his suit, apparently. He walked with Dipper until they reached his room and then he grabbed his arm and made the human turn around. "We still have a deal, if you want me to play..."**

Dipper paused, turning easily, looking up at Bill with dark eyes and a blank look. "Hmm... yeah. Okay. That would be... yeah, can you?" He mumbled, moving towards the piano instead.

**Bill stopped him and shook his head. "I meant in your dream, unless..."** **_Unless you really don't want me in your head right now._ ** **Bill left it unsaid because he didn't like showing he cared, it made him uncomfortable, even more so when he still wasn't completely sure if he did care.**

Dipper's expression twisted into a bitter smile. "I think the likelihood of nightmares is really high tonight," he answered. "So I don't know if that's a good idea... Cause while I'm pretty good at controlling my dreams, I'm not that good."

**"I can always help you with that..." Sure, that meant he would need to stay awake most of the night, keeping an eye on Dipper's dreams, but he felt like maybe he owed the human after that terrible end to their fake date.**

"You need sleep too," he pointed out, leaning back against the doorframe slightly. "Not fair to have you do that."

**Bill took a deep breath and smiled. Why couldn't Dipper just accept the good thing he was trying to give him."Are you against me going into your head tonight, yes or no? I don't care about other answers, don't make me lose my patience." He warned him.**

Dipper turned to open the door. "Stop threatening me, I've already lost mine and if you do I'll hit you," he mumbled, taking a step forward before turning to face Bill, arching an eyebrow. "I've never been against you coming in my head. Tonight isn't any different."

**Bill smiled. "Good." The demon walked into his room. "I'll see you in a bit then." He said before closing the door. Bill tried to keep his mind empty as he got ready for bed. He didn't want to think, thinking would lead to nothing good at the moment and it certainly wouldn't let him concentrate on getting rid of Dipper's nightmares. The demon laid on his bed, on top of the covers, and waited for Dipper to falls asleep before closing his eyes and going into his mind.**

Dipper fought his way into pajamas and collapsed into his bed in an exhausted heap, dragging the blanket up around him- he was out in moments. His eyes opened to the same small, empty room, bright with shadowy corners and a piano that he lightly brushed his fingers along and -"Hi, Bill.."

**“Hello, Mason.” Bill went to sit by the piano, not trying to get close to Dipper in any moment. If the other wanted, he would get close. For the sake of Dipper’s mind, Bill was giving him a bit of control. “What do you want me to play?” Bill pressed one key and in the distance there was thunder. The thickness of the darkness that surrounded them this time was even worse than the night before. Bill hoped he wouldn’t have trouble keeping the nightmares away, even if he didn’t have his real power at the moment.**

Dipper looked up at the thunder. "Oh, good. It's going to storm. That usually helps," he mused, turning to flash a dark glare at the edges of the room. Coming closer, he leaned against the piano. "What about... See, you saying that you just know everything makes picking so much harder, there's no way you do. What about Heather Dale, um... Storybook as a nice ring to it. Do you know that one?"

**Bil huffed a laugh and nodded. “Well, there are some things I don’t know because I don’t want to know them. For example, I forced myself to forget all the Justin Bieber’s songs I’ve ever heard. No need to know those.” The demon explained and then he started playing.**

“That is very true,” Dipper laughed, humming softly as the music started. No singing, this time; the words were sad and he just wanted the tune this time around. “Where did you learn to play?”

**“The mindscape, watching other humans do it.” Bill murmured, not wanting to talk over the music. “Then I just... practiced at home, Made myself a piano and started.”**

“That’s really cool,” Dipper whispered, moving closer to settle next to him on the bench.

**Bill started singing after a long moment of silence, but it was mostly whispers. He knew why Dipper had chosen that song, it was pretty obvious, and since he wasn't singing himself Bill assumed he didn't really want to think about the lyrics.**

It was incredibly easy to tune out the whispered singing and focus only on the stroke of piano keys, so Dipper did, watching Bill’s hands as he played. Why couldn’t things always be this easy...?

**The demon moved closer to Dipper as he played the last part of the song. When he was done he turned a little to face him and offered him a smirk. "How about I give you some really nice dreams now, huh?"**

Dipper turned to meet his eyes, arching an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? What’s your plan?” He asked lightly.

**"No spoilers," Bill said and then he disappeared and the place shifted completely, leaving Dipper outside the Mystery Shack, with Mabel and a bucket full of water balloons. That should be good enough, but Bill would still stay around, hidden, just in case the nightmares were stronger than he thought.**

Dipper blinked, just in time to get a water balloon to the face. Laughing, he was instantly in action, waging a full out water war. 

And if the shadows around the forest and the shack were a little darker then they had any right to be, a little bigger or thicker, well.... he wasn’t going to point it out.


	12. Cat's Out of The Bag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill really should be more careful about using his powers when he has limited energy... But even demons do stupid things when they are in love... (even when they still don't know just how in love they are).

**Everything went well for a while, but halfway through the night, Bill started feeling extremely tired. His mistake wasn't leaving Dipper's mind though, his mistake was fighting his sleep and staying inside... That eventually led to him falling asleep while still in Dipper's dream and that's when everything went to hell.**

**The yellow triangle appeared out of nowhere on the edge of the forest and the sky turned black as he laughed like a psycho.**

Dipper instantly froze, watching the shadows explode out over the perfectly peaceful dream. Oh... oh no, no no no, he couldn’t do this, not again. “Bill,” he gasped, wrapping his arms around his chest. stay quiet stay low stay quiet stay low survive survive survive, his thoughts whispered, and he slowly crept back.

**"Oh Pine Treeeeee. Where are youuuu?" Bill floated towards the Mystery Shack and laughed some more when he saw the guy. "I've been waiting so long for this moment, kid, you and I are going to have so much fun." The demon snapped his fingers and blue chains came out from the ground, trapping Dipper. "I'm gonna give you the show of your life!" And with that, the demon threw a blue ball of fire towards the Mystery Shack and the whole place caught in flames.**

Dipper only fought the chains for a few moments before giving up, letting himself sink to his knees and now his head. There was no point, it never changed- the nightmares with Bill always ended in the world destroyed and himself either tortured or dead, sometimes both. So there was no point fighting...  that didn’t mean he could stop the soft sob that escaped him as the Shack went up in flames.

**Bill continued his destruction of the town and when he was done, everyone was dead and only Dipper was left alive, the demon went to stand in front of him and changed forms again to look human. He grabbed Dipper's chin and made him look up at him, digging talon-like fingers into his flesh. "Finally, we're all alone."**

Dipper flinched, looking up with dark, empty eyes. Tears were still slowly sliding down his face, but he didn’t react to the triangle demon before him.

**"Why the tears, Pine Tree, I thought you liked me." Bill laughed and snapped his fingers again, getting rid of the chains, since he knew he had broken the human enough that he wouldn't fight back. Not that he could really, even if he wanted to. He was going to have the time of his life with his little puppet, he had all eternity now and no one to interrupt them.**

Dipper had been walking a dangerous tightrope this entire time, somewhere between broken beyond repair and willing to die to escape. And surprisingly... being set free, Bill throwing his feelings in his face... they were the kick he needed. In a moment he was surging forward, aiming to land at least one solid hit. If he was going down, he was putting up at least some of a fight. For now.

**"What?!" Dipper reacting took Bill by surprise and he almost managed to land a hit, but the demon was faster and he grabbed the human and turned him around. "You better stay in line, Pine Tree." He murmured in his ear. The demon was about to claw at his chest when the world around them started fading away. Bill had used all the energy he had without really meaning to, all while he was asleep, and he couldn't stay in Dipper's mind any longer. He didn't wake up though, he actually entered something similar to a coma. He was completely out, his mind lost in the dreamscape and not even knowing it.**

Dipper ripped free from the remainders of the dream, jerking awake and instantly smothering the screaming, gasping sobs behind his hands. No no no- oh god Bill. Had he done that, had it been an accident, was it just Dipper’s diseased, twisted mind? He didn’t know and he needed answers, so, on shaking legs and wrapped in his blanket, he made the trek to Bill’s room- still crying. Not even bothering to knock, he pushed the door open.

**Bill was still on top of the blankets, completely asleep. He didn't look relaxed at all though, more like he was in pain, and every once in a while his body jerked a little, small twitches, nothing that would put him at risk from falling from the bed, but still.**

**"Dipper!" Ford ran out of his lab, the last report from one of the satellites in his hand. Something big had happened, a massive signal had been picked up last night and he needed his nephew's help to figure it out. "Are you awake? We need to go out!" He made his way to Dipper's room but since the other was standing by Bill's door, he found him way sooner. "There you are. Come on, get dressed, we need to go now."**

Dipper stood in the doorway and watched, his shoulders shaking what was wrong with Bill had something happened in the night he had to fix it- 

Ford’s voice shook him from the panicked spiral his thoughts were in, startled him enough to flinch and turn to face his uncle, and still... still crying, silent with the hand pressed over his mouth to keep the sounds trapped.

**Ford's expression changed completely to one of concern for his nephew. He hadn't seen Dipper like this in a long time. "Hey, hey." Ford dropped the papers, forgetting completely about the readings, and put his hands on Dipper's shoulders. "What's wrong? What happened?" He slowly guided him out of the other man's room. "Please talk to me, Dipper."**

Dipper tried to calm down, to stop the tears at least enough to speak, to get a fucking grip again. “I...” he started, choking on his words. “Nightmare,” he finally managed, breath hitching into another soft sob as he buried his face in his hands, hunching in on himself.

**Ford sighed and pulled Dipper into a hug. That was what he had thought but he really had hoped those weren't a thing anymore, not now that Will was around. "It's okay. Tell me about it, please? You know that makes it better." He reminded Dipper as he guided him to the kitchen so that the other could sit down, have some water and try to calm down a little.**

Dipper wrapped one arm around Ford, pressing himself into the elder and taking the comfort he craved. He let go once they started walking, clutching at the blanket a little tighter and rubbing his eyes slightly, trying to wipe away tears that just wouldn’t stop. Sinking into the chair, he whimpered softly, before starting to talk- babbling about ‘Triangle Bill’ and the shack going up in flames, not able to do anything to stop his family from being slaughtered, his final, desperate attack because dammit if he was going to die he was going to die fighting

**Ford listened to everything Dipper had to say as he prepared tea for the two of them. He placed a mug in front of Dipper and sat down. "It was just a dream, Dipper." He said, but the truth was he was a little bit worried. The strong signals and Dipper getting such a bad nightmare when he hadn't had one so bad in months? Ford wanted to believe it was a coincidence, but... He was also curious about Dipper mentioning Bill had been a triangle as if at some point he had had another form. "Do you have any idea what could have triggered it? You know that understanding the causes is the best way to deal with the nightmares, you need to face the conflict in real life to make it go away."**

Dipper wrapped his hands around the mug, held it tightly. He wasn’t sure what he could say, what he could talk about that wouldn’t break the deal- though technically, Bill hadn’t forbidden him from telling, well... anyone about the fact that he was around. He never said those words, as long as it didn’t stop them from getting his powers back there wasn’t a whole lot he could do about it. “I don’t know,” he found himself saying, taking a sip of his tea. “... something happened, right? You were coming to get me...”

**Ford sighed and rubbed his eyes. He hated when Dipper didn't try, but he knew he couldn't force him to talk, that wouldn't help him either. "Yes, yes, I... Just let me get the results back." They were in the hallway, so Ford went back to get them and then showed them to Dipper. "More cosmic signals, really strong ones this time. I think that's the only reason the satellites picked them up." Ford had a strange feeling that the last storm had completely damaged his system and had been trying to fix it ever since but hadn't been able to do it yet.**

“Okay,” Dipper said quietly, continuing to drink his tea, take deep breaths, calm down. Becoming a functioning human being again. There we go, that’s better, he could breathe again, focus on what was happening. Leaning forward, he looked them over- that was Bill, he knew it was. “We’re going to check it out, right?” He asked, finishing his cup and setting it down.

**Ford nodded. "If you're okay to go out now, but if you're not, I can go myself." The man would rather have Dipper stay in the shack, just in case he managed to confirm what he had the feeling that was happening. The last thing Dipper needed was to be exposed to Bill again. "You could stay here with Will." Ford smiled and took a sip of his coffee. "You two came back late last night, didn't you? I'm surprised he's still asleep." Bill was usually up at the same time he was.**

“He played piano for me,” he answered weakly. “Till pretty late. It helps me sleep.” Something was wrong, though, Bill should have been awake, he didn’t need much sleep and could always take blood from him if he needed. Dipper was torn- to stay and try to help the demon, or go and see the results. Maybe that would give him more info, maybe he’d be able to- “I want to come. Give me a few minutes to get dressed.” He stood, pulling his blanket close and moving towards the stairs.

**Ford nodded, though he still thought it was a bad idea. "Alright, I'll wait for you outside." He told Dipper, then he stood up, washed his mug and headed out of the shack. He was praying the readings wouldn't mean what he thought they did... But he wouldn't know until they reached the satellite and had all the information that hadn't made it to his computer so that he could compare them to the readings that usually came from the statue.**

Dipper wasn’t worried- Bill was already here, in his room and something was going very wrong. So he could go see the readings, try and find a way to fix things. “Alright.” He went upstairs quickly, tossing on whatever he grabbed first- jeans and the flannel from last night, a graphic tee from some past boyfriend- his hat. Dashing out, he came to a stop next to Ford, his bag over his shoulder. “I’m ready,”

**Ford was surprised to see Dipper wearing his hat again, but he didn't say anything about it, just smiled. It could be a good sign, maybe, it could mean he was coming to term with what had happened. "It's the one close to the bunker so we won't have to walk for too long," Ford reassured Dipper. That also worried him though, it had been really close to the shack.**

That just confirmed his thought that something had happened last night. Something with Bill, while they were asleep, had gone very wrong. Dipper squared his shoulders and adjusted the bill of his hat. “Alright. Let’s go, then.”

**Ford nodded and started walking towards the bunker. They were half-way there when the old man finally decided to ask. "Dipper... You said that Bill was a triangle in your dream... Has he ever appeared as anything else in the past?" Ford had heard about the Axolotl prophesy in his travels, but he had never believed it to be true, having not encountered the creature himself... Now though? Now he was really worried it had been true all along.**

Shit. Dammit, goddammit, damn Ford and his questions and Dipper’s weakness for blabbing all his secrets when he’s hurting and scared. He was floundering, now, searching for an answer, hands clenched around his straps giving too much away with his reaction need to calm down, you want to help Bill not get him caught- “That was just nightmare talk,” he said, trying desperately hard to keep his voice steady. “No biggie.”

**Ford glanced at Dipper for a brief second. He wasn't sure he believed him, but now wasn't the time to interrogate him, he didn't want to make things worse for him. "Alright, sorry, I know you probably don't want to talk about it more." Ford smiled and started walking a little bit faster. After a few more minutes they made it to the tree that led to the bunker and Ford opened it to reveal the device he used to read the signals. "Let's see exactly what we have here..."**

Thank god. Dipper felt a swell of affection for his uncle- if he had pressed, the younger would have spilled everything, but... Ford cared about him too much to push like that, god, that was so... nice. “Yeah... it’s okay.” He quickened his pace as well, keeping up easily as they reached the bunker. Peaking over Ford’s shoulder to get a good look.

**"This is... interesting." Having all the date made him feel a little better. The readings were still pretty similar to the ones that came from the statue, but there were some big differences, that made Ford think maybe he had been wrong and whatever was going on had nothing to do with Bill. "Whatever this is doesn't seem stable." Bill's energy was chaotic, that was for sure, but it was never unstable. It could have changed though, that's why he wanted to check the statue again. Ford turned to face Dipper. "Do you want to stay here? I need to go to the statue."**

“Uh... yeah, sure, whatever you need me to do,” Dipper answered weakly, looking over the readings again- that explained so much, the dream and the ending and how tortured Bill looked when he’d stopped at his door.

**Ford nodded and patted his nephew's shoulder before heading to the Bill Cipher statue.**

**The world around Dipper turned black and white and the words 'help me' written in blood appeared floating in front of him. It was a flash, just a second later everything was back to normal.**

Dipper jumped, grabbing at a tree to stay steady. “How?!” He asked desperately, looking over the readings again. “I want to, I’m trying, but I don’t know how!”

**Ford took a couple of readings from the statue with a portable device he had and then headed back to where Dipper was. "That's done, let's head back so I can compare them in the lab." He smiled at Dipper and walked past him, not noticing anything out of place.**

Dipper paused, whispering out one last thing. “I need help. I’m telling Ford. I’m sorry.” He jogged to catch up with the elder. How was he supposed to do this, oh god this was awful. Finally, he decided to just plunge in, grabbing Ford’s coat lightly shortly before they reached the shack. “Wait,” he said weakly, nerves making his voice shaking.

**The world around Dipper flashed again. 'DON'T. YOU. DARE.' this time, flashing in front of the human.**

**Ford turned to face his nephew, raising an eyebrow in question. "Huh? What is it?" He didn't want to lose more time, so, while he offered Dipper some of his attention, he continued walking towards the shack.**

“Unless you can give me a hint here, I have to!” He hissed, waving a hand where the words were. Thankful that Ford was so distracted, that he really wasn’t paying attention, Dipper waited a moment to see if he was getting an answer.

**Nothing. Bill was exhausted enough as it was, reaching for Dipper wasn't easy, mostly because the lucid moments that he had didn't last long. He really was trapped and couldn't get out on his own.**

“Exactly,” he whispered. “I can’t do this alone, Bill. But I won’t let him hurt you.” He started forward again, faster, wanting to get between Ford and the Shack so he had a chance to talk- “Ford, this is really important!” He but out, slipping around the older and planting himself in front of the door, arms out.

**Ford sighed and pinched the bridge on his nose. "I bet it is, but I really want to figure out this now. If the readings of the statue changed that could mean Bill is back in Gravity Falls or close to getting in again, we have to stop him before he does something." Ford was hoping that wouldn't be the case, but they could easily be in front of a life or death situation.**

“Bill’s been back in Gravity Falls for two months!” He finally snapped, the words exploding out in a yell and what was the point of having adults that want to help if they never listen? “Know how I know? Cause I went on a date with him last night! He’s Will! Now, will you shut up and listen to me!?” His voice cracked painfully, breathing too fast with his fear and nervous and please be okay Bill please please, please...

**Ford froze and stared at Dipper. He knew all the signs had been there, that he shouldn’t have trusted the stranger. Really, one eye, loved yellow, the voice that was way too much like Bill’s except it lacked the echo... But the demons used to be a freaking triangle! And Dipper trusted Will which had been enough for Ford. “Please. Please tell me you just learned of that yesterday, Dipper.” He didn’t want to believe that Dipper had been stupid enough to trust the demon, that he had lied to him and put the whole town at risk. “Please tell me he doesn’t know that you know.”**

“Try again, Ford. Try I didn’t figure it out for a while, not until I camped out in the woods and he chased me down. Try: I’ve already made two deals with him. Try: I’m only telling you because he’s in trouble and you’re helping me.” Dipper stood up a little straighter. “Try: I think I might be in love with him.” He pressed forward quickly. “But something happened last night, when he was trying to help- he plays in my sleep, and he made me have good dreams- but I think he used all his energy and something went really wrong. So are you helping me or not?”

**Ford couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He tried to interrupt Dipper countless of times but the other just kept talking, never leaving a window open for him. When he was finally done, Ford had no idea where to start. “You can’t.” Apparently, that was the best his brain could come up with. “You can’t have feelings for Bill Cipher, he’s clearly been manipulating you, Dipper, can’t you see it?” He needed to get rid of this threat, it couldn’t wait, so talking about this with Dipper, making him understand... that would have to wait, even if it meant his nephew would hate him. Ford pushed Dipper out of the way and walked into the shack.**

Dipper lunged forward, grabbing Ford’s arm. “Don’t,” he said weakly. “I told you because I trust you, don’t ruin that. Please. I only trust you with stuff like this, Mabel and Stan haven’t even seen me cry in six years. I’m begging you, Ford.”

**Ford gulped and broke free from Dipper’s hold. “I’m only trying to protect you.” He told him and then continued his way to the lab. He wasn’t sure if Bill was completely human or not and he didn’t want to take chances, so he needed to get his quantum destabilizer, just in case everything else failed. He didn’t want to use the gun, it had been extremely difficult to find the material to make it work again, but if he had to, he definitely would.**

“You’re not protecting me, you’re getting revenge! You’re acting in self-interest, if you were protecting me you’d listen to why you shouldn’t do this!l Dipper panicked, slammed the door of the lab shut and shoved a chair under the doorknob, hoping to keep Ford there for a little while. His next stop was Bill’s room, shutting and locking the door and leaning back against it. “Oh god, what am I going to do,” he whispered weakly.

**Ford grabbed everything he needed and returned to the door, soon realizing Dipper had blocked it. “Dipper! Open the door now!” Ford shouted even though he knew nobody would be able to hear him, he had made sure his lab was soundproof after all, that way he didn’t bother anyone.**

**Bill hadn’t moved from the bed, he was in the same state in which Dipper had found him that morning, except he looked even worse now.**

Dipper crossed the room slowly, laying his hand on Bill’s forehead. “What do you need, how can I help,” he murmured.

**Inside his head, Dipper’s voice barely reached the demon, drowned by the screams of the innocent people he was torturing. It was weird. He felt the dream was real, that he was there, doing all those things, that it felt good, but he was also watching the situation from a safe distance.**

“Bill,” he said, a little louder, really hoping that he’d get another hint, another flash of white and red letters. “Come on Bill, you need to tell me what to do! I don’t know how to help you!”

**Bill had another brief moment of realization and tried to reach for Dipper again, but it was getting really hard for him. He pulled Dipper into the mindscape again, just for a second, but he couldn’t do more than that and he didn’t have the strength to wake up. He was hoping just a bit of energy would do the trick, he just needed Dipper to try that.**

Dipper looked around, reaching out for Bill. “Let me help you. Please, I need so much more information than what you’re giving me! Do you need energy? How can I give it to you??”

**The demon panicked. He didn’t know what to do! The only way Dipper could give him energy was through the blood, as far as he knew.**

“Can I... should I just try slitting my wrist and forcing blood down your throat?” He asked, moving closer.

**Dipper’s voice faded in Bill’s mind as his moment of awareness slipped away again.**

**In the meantime, Ford was still trying to open the door of the lab.**

Dipper bit his lip, he could almost hear the sound of Ford slamming on the door. Dashing to his room, he grabbed his pocket knife and ran back. He didn’t know if this would work, but it was his only option. Carefully, he dipped the knife into his wrist and held Bill’s mouth open, letting his blood drip into his mouth.

**At first, nothing happened. Bill was still completely out of it. A full minute of Dipper letting his blood drip into Bill’s mouth had to pass for him to be able to wake up. “Pine Tree..?” He murmured and blinked lazily up at him. He realized what was happening and sighed. “Closer, idiot.” He would have pulled Dipper’s arm to his mouth himself if he had been able to move.**

Dipper breathed a sigh of relief, slowly sitting on the bed and lowering his wrist to Bill’s mouth. “Had to be able to see what I was doing,” he murmured, gently pressing his arm against his mouth and carding his other hand brought Bill’s hair.

**Bill sucked at the wound hard, almost desperate. He felt like he had been close to dying... He remembered little of what had happened really, he was in Dipper’s mind and then everything got confusing. He was hoping Dipper would enlighten him later, but at the moment he could only focus on getting his energy back. He wasn’t even paying attention to how much he was taking from the other man.**

Dipper let him drink unchecked for about a minute before starting to pull back. “Easy, easy Bill,” he whispered, swaying slightly. “Let go, that’s enough, come on...” He was tugging the entire time.

**Bill didn’t stop, not until Ford was breaking into the room, quantum destabilizer in hand. “Get away from him, Dipper!” He warned his nephew as he aimed at the demon. Bill pushed Dipper out of the way and made the gun leave Ford’s hand and fly out of the window -breaking it, of course.**

Dipper fell back- and off the bed, hitting the ground with a thud. “Bill, wrist,” he mumbled, pressing the material of his shirt into the cut and sitting up slowly. “Now, please,” he added, slumping against the bed.

**Bill glared at Ford and moved towards Dipper. He took his arm and let the wound heal, letting his attention move from Ford’s to Dipper.**

**“Don’t touch him!” The old man pulled a knife out of his pocket and charged towards the bed, pushing Bill away from Dipper and pinning him to the bed. “You monster!” The man had taken Bill by surprise and used that advantage to try and land a deadly blow with the knife, but then Mabel and Stan barged into the room, having woken up because of the noises.**

Dipper froze, falling back against the ground, scrambling to sit up- he was panicking, tears were starting to fill his eyes - no, he didn’t want this, this isn’t, he couldn’t oh god no.

And Mabel and Stan were there and things were spiraling out of control-

Dipper screamed. He screamed as loud, as long as he could, pressing his head into his knees.

**Stan pulled Ford away from Bill, but not fast enough. The knife had buried itself in Bill’s normal eye, making way too much damage to salvage it. It was bleeding everywhere and the demon couldn’t stand the pain, his whimpers of adding to the mess in the room.**

**“Are you out of your mind?!” “What’s going on?!” “You don’t understand! He’s a monster!” “Dipper? Dipper?!”**

**Bill wasn’t sure who was talking anymore, the pain was too much and he ended up passing out again.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well! Here we are with another update. Gonna have to keep this to weekly updates from now on, that's for sure, I can't begin to explain how much college and my new job are killing me :/


	13. I'm Good for You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill and Dipper deal with the aftermath of Ford's attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW this is a really long chapter! Almost 12k words for you to enjoy (or hate, but hopefully enjoy). Let us know what you think! And remember, this is an RP, there's ought to be inconsistencies. - Alga

**Once Stan had gotten Ford out of the room -hopefully, to lock him somewhere-, Mabel knelt in front of Dipper and helped him get up. “Wha-what happened..?**

Dipper continued to scream until the room went quiet until Ford was dragged away and it was just him and Bill and Mabel. He looked up, gasping for breath, and let her help him up. “Oh god, Bill,” he whispered, scrambling to the bed to get a look at his eye, cupping his cheeks as a sob ripped out of his throat. “We need to go to a hospital,” he whimpered.

**Mabel glanced at Will and gulped. “Yes, of course, let’s get him into the car.” Questions could wait, that was for sure, right now Mabel preferred to believe she hadn’t heard Dipper calling Will something else. God, Mabel really hoped a person couldn’t bleed to death from an injury like that one... She grabbed the first thing she found that she could wrap around Will’s head -a shirt- and then helped Dipper with getting the unconscious man into the car.**

Getting down the stairs and to the car was a complete blur, between his exhaustion and blood loss and the tears streaming down his face. He couldn’t focus on anything besides keeping his hand pressed against Bill’s eye, stop the bleeding. He shoved his keys in Mabel’s hands, sitting in the back and keeping Bill’s head in his lap.

**Mabel started the car and drove away from the shack. She was really confused about what had happened, but his twin was obviously not okay enough to explain, so she kept quiet and focused on getting to the hospital as fast and possible. Once they arrived, she helped Dipper get Will out of the car and soon they had two nurses taking him from them and getting him to the ER.**

The only thing that kept Dipper from following was the nurse pushing him back, leaving Dipper outside the door as they carted Bill away. He was shaking, covered in blood and gasping for breath. “Oh god,” he choked, stumbling back into Mabel.

**“Don’t worry, bro, he’s going to be okay,” Mabel said and really really hoped she was right. Dipper was already a mess, she didn’t think he would be able to take more... Mabel didn’t want to lose him. “Let’s... let’s sit down, okay?” She pulled Dipper to the chairs in the waiting room and made him sit. “Do you want water?”**

Dipper nodded weakly. “He’s going to be okay,” he repeated, rubbing at his eyes and smearing more blood on his cheeks. This was too much- almost losing Bill twice and... and Ford.. “okay,” he whispered, following along and taking a seat. “Y-Yeah. That would be good.”

**Mabel gave him a weak smile and left to get him some water. She also made a stop at the restroom and grabbed a few paper towels so that the other could clean himself up at least a little, and people stopped looking at him like he had killed someone. She returned a few minutes later and handed everything to Dipper before she sat down next to him. “Can I ask you what happened? I’m so confused, Dip-Dop...”**

Dipper didn’t answer until he had most of the blood of his skin, and his breathing had steadied. And he took a couple drinks of his water. After a while, though, he was finally able to start talking. “Will is really Bill,” he started, and wove his tale, telling her everything- from the moment he figured it out until she’d come in the room. “And I’m just really scared,” he whispered, tears on his cheeks.

**Mabel was surprised to hear the whole story, but she supposed she should have seen it... She knew she couldn’t judge Dipper for feeling the way he did, though it did worry her, Bill had tried to kill them after all. “So... Grunkle Ford was right about him... He wanted to kill him, right?”**

Dipper nodded, rubbing at his eyes again and finishing his water. “Yeah... so Bill and I will probably be leaving,” he said weakly, bowing his head with a shudder.

**Mabel shook her head and took Dipper’s hands. “No, no, you can’t leave, Dipper, please...” They would figure it out, they always did, right? She didn’t want his brother to leave when he was so obviously vulnerable, even less so if he was going to leave with the demon. “I... I know you feel... I know you like him, but what if he’s using you?”**

“You don’t get it,” he whispered, squeezing her hands gently. “You don’t see... how guilty he looks when I scream at him. And how he goes out of his way to do stupid nice things. Like.. last night, the trouble started because he used up all his energy staying up to keep my nightmares away. He didn’t have to do that.” He closed his eyes. “And maybe he is using me. But Mabel... this is the most steady I’ve felt in years.”

**Mabel smiled sadly at Dipper and nodded. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know...” She had really thought his brother was a lot better now and to find out it was nothing like that... She should have been paying more attention. “If you’re so sure then we’ll convince Ford, but you can’t leave, Dipper, please, if anything goes wrong with Bill at least grunkle Ford can keep us safe!” There was something else too. “Can Bill even leave Gravity Falls?”**

“Of course you didn’t... I’m really good at hiding things,” he murmured, leaning over to rest his head on her shoulder. He was just... tired. So tired. “We won’t be able to convince Ford. Nothing will convince him. He’ll try and kill Bill the moment we get near the Shack again.” His voice was dark, hopeless. “I don’t know.. but we could live in the woods...”

**Mabel shook her head and let her head rest on top of Dipper’s. “We’ll figure it out, I’ll help.” Yeah, maybe right now wasn’t the best moment to go back to the Shack... But she would talk to Stan, she knew he would be more understandable, and together they would try to convince Ford. “Don’t worry, bro-bro.”**

“Thanks, sis,” he breathed, eyes closed. It was probably the blood loss and lack of sleep the night before. ”God, I’m tired,” he mumbled, shifting closer.

**“You can take a nap. I’ll wake you up when I have news about Wi- Bill.” She smiled a little. It was weird to think that the handsome man that had crashed into their lives used to be that evil dorito... But when had their lives been anything but weird?**

“Okay,” he whispered, and in moments he was asleep against her shoulder, fingers curled into her sweater.

 

**A nurse came to give Mabel news of Bill about an hour later, letting her now that he seemed to be stable now, but that he had lost a lot of blood and was still out. They couldn’t save his eye, of course. She thanked her and asked her to let her know if he woke up. For that, another hour had to pass and then Mabel decided to wake up her brother. “Hey, he’s awake and they say he’s asking for you.”**

Dipper jerked awake, looking a bit better. “Oh, oh, okay,” he said quickly, rubbing at his eyes and smiling at Mabel weakly. “I... you can come if you want...” he offered,  before following the nurse to Bill’s room. Knocking softly, he pushed the door open. “Bill?”

**Mabel shook her head. She had the feeling Dipper would like some privacy and if he trusted Bill so much then she would trust him too. “I’ll be outside if you need anything or if you call for help.” She gave Bill a warning look despite the fact that he was basically blind at the moment -he was, wasn't he?- and then left, closing the door behind her.**

Dipper nodded, smiling at Mabel gently. “Right. See you...” 

**“You broke our deal,” Bill said, glancing in Dipper’s direction but not taking off his eyepatch.**

“No, I didn’t. Nowhere in the deal did it say ‘don’t mention my existence to anyone.’ The deal was just to get your power back, I was panicking, and I couldn’t really get your power back if you were d-dead. So I reached out. And I fucked up. I... I’m sorry.” He crossed the room, coming to a stop next to the bed.

**“I told you not to tell Ford,” Bill said, trying to ignore the fact that he knew he hadn’t added that to their deal, not officially, and that had been his stupid mistake. The demon sighed and turned his head in the direction of the window. “Good thing I didn’t get a chance to get used to using both eyes...”**

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around himself tightly. “I know that’s not enough, but... I am...”

**Bill sighed and untied his eyepatch, revealing his All-Seeing eye. He wanted to see the human. “Don’t worry, he was going to find out eventually, I always knew that.” He gave Dipper a bitter smile. “I... I remember a few things, but... Not everything. Are you okay?”**

Dipper inched a little closer, smiling softly. “Well... I’ve been better. But you missed the worst of it,” he said simply, hesitating before sitting on the edge of the bed.

**“I’m sorry, Pine Tree,” Bill murmured and looked down at his lap. They were supposed to talk about something today and he had ruined it completely by being reckless, again. “Did you at least have a good night?”**

“Hey, no. It’s okay,” he murmured, softly touching his hand. Bill had no reason to be sorry. “Mason,” he corrected gently. “Remember? And... I did for a while. The water balloon fight was nice, thank you. It just didn’t last.”

**Bill took a deep breath and nodded. Mason. He had to remember, he had to keep trying, Dipper had probably ruined his relationship with Ford just to save him, he owed him that much. “What happened? It’s all so confusing. I don’t remember going to sleep, but I had a dream... or maybe, maybe it was a nightmare.” He didn’t know how to feel about it anymore.**

He smiled again, nodding. Right. “Um... well, the dream turned into a nightmare. With Triangle Demon destroying the shack and murdering everyone I care about and trying to mess with me. I fought back a little, and then I woke up and I went to see you... and you were.” He closed his eyes. “All tensed up and it looked like you were in pain. Not a good time.”

**Bill gulped and looked away. That sounded a lot like his own dream, at least what he could remember of it. Had he even left Dipper’s mind? Maybe if he hadn’t been so stubborn and had left when he started to get tired then he wouldn’t have ruined Dipper’s night and enjoyed it, because yes, in the dream he had enjoyed it, that was why he wasn’t sure if he could call it a nightmare. Now he felt terrible about it though. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know... I didn’t think I stayed in your mind.”**

Dipper let out a slow breath. An accident, it was just an accident. One that Bill caused, but he didn’t mean to, he had been trying to help and things got out of hand. “It’s okay,” he assured again. “It’s really okay. Now we know, we know what happens. We can keep it from happening again.”

**Bill nodded. “I’ll stay away from your mind, don’t worry. Or even better, I’ll just stay away.” At this point it felt like it would be the best for everyone, Dipper would be able to move on from his crush and Bill would be able to go back to ignoring the stupid emotions that came with his meatsack.**

“Don’t you dare.” Just the thought made Dipper’s chest ache. “After everything, don’t you dare just leave me.” Reaching out, he gently brushed the back of his fingers along Bill’s check.

**Bill let out a humorless laugh and glanced up at Pine Tree. “Love yourself a little more, kid, you know I’m not good for you.” Bill took Dipper’s hand and gently pushed it away. “Maybe in another life... If things had been different.”**

“I’m good for you,” Dipper argued, using the push to take Bill’s hand and just hold on. “And you are good for me. You’ve made mistakes, and so have I, but when you’re around I feel in control. Like I’m not going to lose my mind.”

**“Well, when you’re around I’m the one that feels like I’m losing my mind.” Which was a lot coming from someone as insane as him. Damn, he didn’t want to leave his sapling, he really didn’t. “But I don’t like this, I don’t like feeling weak, I don’t like that Sixer was able to harm me so easily, I can’t live like this.”**

“Let me help you,” he said softly, moving farther back on the bed until he bumped against Bill’s legs gently. He was looking down at their hands, lightly brushing his thumb along the back of Bill’s. “You’re not weak.”

**“Kid, I’m in a hospital bed, I just lost an eye and can’t make it grow back. I don’t know what the human definition of ‘weak’ is, but if a demon saw me now they would be laughing at my face.” Bill shook his head, then pulled Dipper closer. “How are you even going to help me now that Ford knows? I bet he knows how to get my power back and he will make it impossible for you or me to get our hands on it.”**

“You survived. For a human, that’s pretty damn strong. I... I almost didn’t think you’d make it to the hospital,” he murmured. Dipper came easily, and in the end, wound up laying down next to Bill. He never let go of his hand. “I don’t know, I’ll figure it out. Research and stuff.”

**“You’re too good for your own safety, Pine- Mason.” Bill huffed a bitter laugh. “Sorry.” It was really annoying that he felt like he needed to apologize to the human every fucking minute. “If I went away I would take the deal with me, you know? You wouldn’t have to worry about that, you’d fix things with Ford... Don’t you think that’s better than whatever you think we have?”**

“It’s okay. No need to apologize,” he hummed, smiling a little, shifting slightly so he could brush the back of his fingers against Bill’s side. Up and down, up and down, soft and slow. “I think that I deserve both,” he said, slightly teasing. “I think that you’ve already proven, time and time again, that you can be a good person. And after everything I’ve done, I should get to keep you and have a healthy relationship with my family.”

**“You think that’s possible?” Bill turned a little to glance at the human and leaned against him, resting his head on the other’s shoulder. “What if you end up regretting this?” The demon simply couldn’t think that something nice like this was something he could keep.**

“It can be. But I can’t fight for it alone,” he murmured, moving his hand from Bill’s side to his hair, brushing through it slowly. “I won’t. I can’t see myself regretting this.”

**The demon sighed and closed his eye, letting himself relax against the human. “I don’t know what you’re doing to me,” he said, softly, “but... maybe it’s not so bad.” He was going to need help understanding how this worked, that was for sure. The demon still wasn’t completely sure what he was feeling.**

Dipper smiled slowly, gently drawing the demon even closer, tucking against his chest protectively. “It’s not,” he murmured. “I hope it’s not. We can figure it out together, okay? I’ll help you understand,” he promised, murmured soothingly into his ear.

**“I’d like that, Mason,” Bill murmured. The demon tied up his eyepatch again, just in case a doctor walked it. “You’re also going to have to teach me how to pretend I’m blind in public.” Bill laughed.**

“Alright,” he laughed. “We’ll get you a walking stick and everything.” He paused, lightly brushing his fingers along the bandages. “Can... can you see anything right now?”

**Bill hissed in pain and moved away from Dipper’s hand. “Not with that,” he said and took the human’s hand to make sure he wouldn’t touch the bandaged socket again. “They couldn’t save the eye,” It wasn’t that much of a loss for Bill. Sure, it was annoying, but he still had the one that mattered. The problem was that it wouldn’t be so easy to pass as someone else now, not if he wanted to be able to see without using his powers and simply using the many eyes he had around town.**

Dipper drew back slightly, squeezing his hands gently. "Sorry," he murmured, wincing before shaking his head. "I meant... Um." He pulled his hands away, cupping Bill's face gently. "It'll be a lot easier to fake being blind if you are basically blind, Bill. Can you see at all right now? No magic."

**“Nope, but it’s tempting...” At least from time to time, it would be, being blind was yet again another weakness he didn’t want to have.**

"Alright... See, teaching you how to be blind is going to be easy," he teased, kissing his forehead, careful of the bandages.

**“Yes, I guess so.” The demon sighed and cupped Dipper’s face gently. “It’s going to be frustrating.” He snickered a little. “I’ll try not to set too many things on fire.”**

Dipper laughed softly, nuzzling into his hands. "Maybe you should hold back on the more destructive magic until you get a hang of this whole blind thing."

**“Hey, I said I’ll try, kid, it’s not like it’s easy for me.” The demon smirked and ran his thumb through Dipper’s lower lip. He liked to hear the other laugh for real, it was a beautiful sound.**

"Trying is all I'm asking for," he murmured, lips parting slightly at the pressure against his lower one. Gently, he caught Bill's hand, pulling slightly so he could press a kiss to the inside of his wrist.

**The demon blushed a little. He had a hard time getting used to the gentleness. It was nice, but he felt weird enjoying it, it wasn’t something he would have liked in the past.**

Dipper glanced up to watch him, keeping an eye on his face to make sure he wasn't making the demon too uncomfortable. He knew Bill wasn't really good with the sweet, gentle parts of any sort of relationship- he was hoping to ease him into it. Pressing another kiss there, he pulled back slightly.

**Bill smiled shyly and then pulled the other close again when he pulled away. He enjoyed the closeness, okay? It made him feel better about the situation he was in like maybe it didn’t matter so much that he was weak and just had had a brush with death.**

Dipper smiled softly, raising a hand to gently slide through the hair on the back of Bill’s head. Slowly, he pressed his head against his chest again. Perfect, this was perfect; just them together and for a moment nothing mattered.

**Bill didn’t say anything, no witty comments, no defensive statements, for once he allowed himself to enjoy this and accept that he actually liked it, that it made him feel good. The silence was nice too, not uncomfortable at all, and when the doctor walked in and interrupted it... well, it annoyed Bill a little, but he knew it couldn’t last forever.**

Dipper felt a burst of affection, of caring, when Bill willing curled into his chest, let Dipper hold him close- listen to him breathe, feel the warmth of his skin. Once the doctor came, he pulled back slowly, pressing one more kiss to his forehead. “I’ll be right back,” he murmured, leaving the room to let the doctor do what he needed to.

**The doctor checked Bill’s vitals, surprised to find he seemed to be recovering pretty fast. The truth was that, while Bill couldn’t make a whole new eye for himself, he had been able to start speeding up the healing process as soon as he had woken up. Given they had just gotten the bandages on, Bill supposed it would be okay, they wouldn’t be taking them off again.**

**Since the patient seemed to be okay, the doctor decided to let him go earlier than expected. They needed the beds.**

 

Dipper was both incredibly excited and incredibly anxious to take Bill home, pressing his shoulder into Mabel’s as the paperwork was filled out. Pulling out his phone, he took a breath. “I’m... letting them know we’re coming back,” he said quietly. “Hopefully we can prevent another stabbing.” He pressed the phone to his ear.

**“Don’t worry, I already talked to Stan, he locked Ford in the lab and made sure he won’t be able to come out this time.” It wasn’t exactly a pleasant situation, but Stan wanted to give Dipper a chance to explain himself without his twin making another scene.**

**“I knew getting on Stan’s good side was a good strategy,” Bill said and snickered a little.**

Dipper let out a breath, bumping their shoulders together again. “Thank, Mabel... Owe you one.” Quietly, he took Bill’s hand, signing the paperwork before leading him out to the car.

**Bill leaned against Dipper as they walked to the car. He had to start trusting the other to lead him, at least when they were in public, that way he wouldn’t have to rely on his powers all that much.**

Dipper opened the door and helped him in before shutting it. “You can drive again,” he murmured to Mabel, taking his place next to Bill.

**"Sure." Mabel got into the driver's seat and glanced at the other two through the rear-view mirror. She was still a little worried about this relationship his brother had... But she had to give Bill the benefit of the doubt, right? How much damage could a blind demon do?**

Dipper, not noticing that Mabel was looking at them, was worrying his lower lip between his teeth. After a moment, he gently took Bill’s hand again, letting out a silent, slow breath.

**"Hey, kid," Bill murmured in Dipper's ear, slightly amused, "I think your sister is staring at us..." The whisper was loud enough for Mabel to hear and she immediately looked away and started a car. Alright, so Bill wasn't as blind as she had first thought. Well, Dipper still trusted him, she had to do the same.**

Dipper blushed faintly, glancing up at Mabel before shrugging a little. “That’s okay... not like she’s not going to see it all the time,” he mumbled, resting his head on Bill’s shoulder.

**"I know, just wanted to let her know I'm not really blind and embarrass her a little." The demon laughed and uncovered his eye. "Do you think Fordsy will believe I'm blind too? He never saw my other eye, maybe I could use that to my advantage..."**

“Probably, but it won’t matter because it won’t come to something like that,” Dipper said. “Things are going to work out just fine.” It sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as Bill.

**Bill sighed. "If you say so, kid." He wasn't convinced, but he and Dipper still had a deal so it wasn't like he could farm any member of the Pines' family. Bill fell silent after that and closed his eye to take a short nap. It had been an exhausting day and even if he had taken quite a bit of blood from Dipper, he still didn't feel as full of energy as usual.**

“I do say so.” He hoped. He hoped it would be okay. Maybe he could use the deal, Bill couldn’t actually hurt his family or anyone in the town... Dipper wound up dozing off against Bill’s shoulder, settled into his side with no real intention of moving until he had to.

 

**Mabel parked in front of the shack and glanced at the couple, but didn't wake them up right away. Instead, she went to get Stan, who had found something that would be able to keep Bill from using his powers. It was a bracelet and they had thought about asking Bill to wear it, but since this was the perfect opportunity to make sure he wouldn't just refuse... Mabel didn't like it, but at least it would make her feel a bit safer about the demon.**

Dipper started to wake up once the car had been parked for a few minutes, sitting up to find Mabel missing, probably in the Shack that had appeared in sight. Smiling a little, he rubbed his eyes and sat up. Watching Bill for a few minutes.

**Mabel returned with the bracelet in hand and gulped when he saw Dipper was awake. "Hey... I thought you'd still be asleep..." Dammit, how was she going to do this now? Dipper wouldn't like the idea.**

“I wish I was. But nope.” He yawned, rubbing a hand through his hair- and going still. “What’s that?” He asked lightly, pretending like it was no big deal even as his eyes narrowed.

**"Oh! This? This is nothing, just a thing grunkle Stan found and thought it would be useful," she said and then let out a nervous laugh. "For Bill, you know? For his powers?"**

“What about his powers?” He asked, his voice starting to dip, losing the light tone and getting a little more of a hard edge. “Tell me the truth, Mabel.”

**Mabel's shoulders dropped and she sighed. "Sorry... Stan said it should stop Bill from being able to use them. He's worried, okay? I'm worried too, he tried to kill us, Dipper." But they were at least willing to give Bill a chance and maybe this would make Ford feel better about the idea of Bill staying around too.**

“He can’t hurt you. Or anyone else in the town. Did you really think I’d be that trusting, that stupid, that I wouldn’t find a way to guarantee your safety the moment I found out?” He took the bracelet and shoved it in his pocket. “He’s allowed to drink from me, I help him get his power back, and he doesn’t touch anyone. Currently, all he can use his powers for is helping himself see and keeping my nightmares away.”

**"But-but... Dipper, it's Bill, don't you think he'll find a way around the contract if he wants to?" Mabel still didn't trust the demon enough to let him walk around the house being able to use magic or whatever he wanted to call it.**

**Bill sighed, tired of pretending he hadn't heard the whole thing. "I can't even get one chance? So far I haven't hurt anyone, have I? I wasn't even able to defend myself against old Sixer," the demon said. He opened his eye and gave Mabel an annoyed look.**

“I think if he wanted to he would have done it by now,” Dipper snapped, folding his arms over his chest. “Do you have any idea how many opportunities he’s had to kill me? I wasn’t even part of the protection deal!” 

He pushed the car door open. “If you won’t trust him, then trust me. The only person in the entire house he can do anything to is me, and he hasn’t.” Standing, he held the door open for Bill to get out as well.

**Well... He had, but Bill knew better than to correct Dipper at the moment. The demon got out of the car as well and grinned at Mabel. "Don't worry, Shooting Star, I really can't get around this deal." At least not to hurt the Pines.**

**Mabel bit her lip. She wasn't convinced, but Dipper was asking her to trust him and she couldn't not do that. The girl sighed. "Alright... But if you hurt my brother..." she warned Bill.**

**"I promise I won't do anything to Dipper than he wouldn't want me to do." The demon laughed and winked at the guy.**

Dipper blushed faintly, gently sliding his hand around Bill’s forearm. If Bill wanted people to think he was blind, they were going to sell it. “You’ve already proven that to me,” he teased back, carefully leading him towards the door. “Coming, Mabel?”

**Bill put the eyepatch over his good eye once again and let his weight rest a little on Dipper as they walked towards the Mystery Shack.**

**Mabel nodded and followed the pair, trying not to look as nervous as she felt.**

Dipper shifted so he could open the door. “We’re home!” He called, moving forward to pull Bill into the room. “Stan?” Shrugging slightly, he turned back to Bill. “Let’s go in the kitchen, k?”

**Bill nodded a little. He was really nervous to be back in the Mystery Shack, practically blind this time. He trusted Dipper to warm him or take him out of there if anything went wrong, but still.**

**"In here, kids!" Stan called them from the kitchen.**

Dipper took a breath, leading Bill into the kitchen and gently directing him into a chair. “Easy, careful,” he mumbled anxiously, getting him settled in the chair before turning to face Stan. “... hey,” he said weakly.

**"Thanks, kid," Bill said once he was seated on the chair. The demon smiled at Dipper and turned to 'look' in the direction he assumed Stan was.**

“Yeah, course,” Dipper murmured, smiling a little and resting a hand on his shoulder. He wasn’t going to move, it was very clear where he stood on things. 

**This was weird. "So... That's the demon?" Stan pointed at the blind Will, or well, Bill, he supposed. "And Mabel says you trust him."**

“Yeah. This is Bill,” Dipper said slowly, squeezing his shoulder gently. “And I do.”

**"Nice not seeing you again, Stan," Bill joked and his grin got bigger.**

**Stan made a face. "Damn, you're really blind?" That sucked... But he supposed it would be better for the two of them. "Well, here's the thing, so far you haven't done anything bad and you're good for the shack, so I don't have a problem with you staying. My brother is going to be harder to convince though..."**

“He actually can’t do anything too bad,” Dipper pointed out. “Our deal includes him not hurting anyone.” He didn’t say anything about him technically being able to see, letting that go. It would make things so much easier.

**“Well, If that’s the case he’s good in my book.” Stan shrugged and turned to make himself some coffee.**

**Great, one Pines in the bag, now they only needed to make sure Ford wouldn’t try to kill him again.**

Dipper let out a relaxing breath, shaking his head and sitting down next to Bill. “That’ll be fun.”

**“I’ll try to make Ford come to his senses... but maybe you should pack up some clothes, in case you can’t sleep here tonight,” Stan said and then he left the kitchen.**

Dipper nodded, standing. “Yeah, I’ll do that. Now. Bill, do you... Want to stay down here or come with?” He touched his shoulder again.

**Bill stood up and reached for the other. “I’ll go with you, I rather not stay alone in a room in this place...” the demon said. He knew Ford was supposed to be locked up, but he didn’t want to risk another encounter with the man.**

Dipper caught his hands, holding one of them and dropping his other hand to rest against Bill's lower back. "Alright. This way, Bill," he murmured, directing him first to his room, shutting the door behind them. "What do you want me to grab?"

**“My suit, please. The rest just...” The demon grinned. “Just pick what you like best on me,” he added. Once they reached the room, the demon took off his eyepatch. God, it really was annoying not to be able to see a damn thing.**

Dipper laughed softly, shaking his head as he picked out the suit and folded it up carefully. Moving through the closest, he picked out some of the rest- pastel shirts, blues and greens and yellows- and jeans, folded up and packed away neatly.

**Bill just sat down on his bed and watched as the human did all the work. He wasn’t that exhausted, he could have helped, but Dipper ha offered so... who was to deny such a thing.**

Dipper hummed, finishing putting it all away in the bag and turning to smile at Bill. "Come help me with mine, now?" He asked, holding out a hand.

**“Only because you ask nicely.” Bill took Dipper’s hand and stood up, then followed the other to his room. “Do I get to pick your clothes too?”**

Dipper pulled him along, humming softly. "I suppose," he mused. "Most of it, there are a couple things that are coming no matter what."

**“Sure, pick whatever you want,” Bill said and then he started going through Dipper’s clothes, choosing what he liked the most. Most of his choices were clothes that looked new, that Dipper hadn’t really used that much in the past, if ever.**

Dipper picked out a couple of his flannels and t-shirts, hesitating before placing his hat on his head again. Taking much less care with his own clothes than he had with Bill's, he tossed what he picked in a bag and waited for the demon to finish.

**Bill was careful, fondling everything neatly. When he was done he turned to face Dipper and hand him the pile of clothes. He saw how the other had put away the rest and raised an eyebrow. “Really? You’re going to iron that later?”**

"We're... What? We'll be in a hotel, Bill, I doubt there will be an iron?" He arched an eyebrow, taking the folded clothes and packing those as well.

**“So you’re going to walk around town using those wrinkled clothes?” The demon shook his head and rolled his eyes. “No way, not when you’re with me.”**

"Chances are I'll be wearing the things you picked out around town," he pointed out with a little smile. "And the hotel will have a closet or a dresser- if we even end up going, there's a chance we won't."

**“Of course you will, at least those won’t get wrinkles,” Bill commented and closed the distance between him and Dipper. “You’ll look good on them, my Pine Tree, I’m sure,” he said, not realizing the nickname had slipped from his lips. He gently grabbed his chin.**

Dipper shook his head with a short laugh, leaning into him slightly. "Mason," he murmured, accepting the fact that he would be correcting him for a while- and the MY in front of it made it much more okay, anyway.

**Bill sighed and rubbed his good eye. “It’s hard to remember every time.” Maybe he should try by giving Dipper some good memories related to that name, right? Maybe it would help. The demon leaned forward and pressed his lips to Dipper’s, trying to be gentle.**

“I know,” he said simply, smiling gently. “I know you’re trying. That’s all I ask, remember? You’re trying.” He leaned up to kiss him back, humming faintly and tangling his fingers in his hair.

**Bill pulled away from the kiss when he felt the need to deepen it. He was trying to be gentle, Do this ‘right’ or whatever, so it was better not to push. He pulled away just in time too, because Stan’s footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs. Bill put his eyepatch back on and sat on the bed.**

Dipper sighed happily, letting Bill break the kiss and turning back to his bag as Stan opened the door. “Oh, hey,” he hummed, adding his journal to his things, along with an envelope pulled out of his bedside table.

**“I’ve got bad news, kid... I couldn’t convince Ford yet... well, he’s trying to convince me that he believes Bill, but you know my brother isn’t the best liar out there,” Stan said and Bill laughed.**

**“Understatement of the year.” At least for people that were used to lying for a living, it would be really easy to stop Ford’s lies.**

Dipper nodded slowly, sighing. He knew that was coming, he shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up in the first place. “Alright. I think we’re all packed here, so I guess we’ll just... head out.”

**Bill wasn’t surprised. He would have liked things to be easier, but they never were. It was okay though, it meant that he and Dipper would have more time alone. The demon stood up.**

**“It shouldn’t be like this.” It wasn’t fair for Dipper at least, that Ford didn’t want to listen. “I’m sorry... but we’ll keep trying.”**

Dipper shrugged slightly. “I didn’t really expect it to work,” he mumbled, shouldering his bag and picking Bill’s up. He reached out with his free hand to take the demon’s. “Well... I guess we’ll go then..”

**Stan nodded and let the two leave the room. He wished he could have convinced Ford, but he knew that was going to take time.**

**Bill took Dipper's hand and followed him out. He had been expecting this... and to be honest, he didn't think it was all that bad, he would definitely sleep better knowing he wasn't under the same roof of the person that wanted him dead.**

Dipper led him down the stairs, smiling at Mabel- his 'everything's fine, I'm okay, it's all alright' grin. "Need my keys back, Mabel," he hummed.

**Mabel gave him a sad smile and handed him back the keys. "I promise me and Stan will figure this out, bro bro," she reassured him.**

**Bill let out a humorless laugh and shook his head. "Good luck with that, Shooting Star."**

Dipper squeezed his hand gently. "Hey, have a little hope. Things could work out just fine. See you soon, Mabel." He led Bill out to the car, letting him in and making sure he didn't hit his head on the roof. Climbing in, he waved once more before heading off.

**Mabel waved them goodbye and then returned to Ford's room to try and convince her grunkle.**

**Bill took off the eyepatch as soon as he got in the car. He threw his head back and sighed. "This is going to be impossible, you know that. There's no way Ford will ever give me another chance, he's a smart human, as much as I hate to admit it."**

Dipper shook his head, holding the steering wheel tightly. "I know... I know, Bill, okay? But I don't know what else to do."

**"Nothing you could do for me, I just don't get why you were stupid enough not to take my offer back at the hospital," Bill said and closed his eye. He was glad the other hadn't though, he liked this, wanted to keep it going, but some things would never change.**

"Because I couldn't just do that. Did you want me to just leave you there?" He asked, glancing at the demon next to him. He... oh, even now, he looked so vulnerable.

**"Don't ask questions you don't want an answer for, Mason." Bill glanced at Dipper, his eye turning red for a brief second before he looked away. God, he was furious. Not at Dipper, but at the whole situation, at Ford, even at himself...**

"I never do, Bill," Dipper shot back, shifting a little and sitting up straighter. "I honestly want to know what you want." He stopped at a light, focusing all of his attention on Bill.

**"I'm not sure." You. He was trying but at the moment it was like he didn't care about anything else but having Dipper and he did, right? Then why was he so angry? Bill groaned in frustration and looked out of the window. "Just keep driving."**

Dipper sighed faintly, nodding a little as he started driving again. The rest of the ride was silent before the pulled up at one of the cheap hotels, something Dipper could easily afford without wasting everything. "Alright. Let's go," he murmured.

**Bill put the eyepatch back on and waited for Dipper to get him out of the car. He needed more rest, just laying down on a bed, not staring at the ceiling, seemed like a great idea right now, maybe it would help him calm down.**

Dipper helped him out, directing him into the hotel and getting a room for them. He planned it for a week, it was a good start and he could pay for it now. "This way," he murmured, leading him up a flight of stairs to their room and locking the door behind them.

**Once they were alone again, the demon tore out the eyepatch and let it fall to the floor before letting himself fall onto the bed, laying on his stomach. He cursed the day he had been brought back to this godforsaken town.**

Dipper watched him for a moment, holding his breath before picking up the eyepatch and setting it on the dresser. Deciding to let Bill just be for a few minutes, he went about setting up the room, hanging Bill's clothing and folding his in the dresser drawers. Once done, he turned back to the demon and approached the bed slowly.

**Bill used the breathing exercise that Dipper taught him to try and calm down, focusing on nothing but that for a while. Once he felt a little bit better he rolled over and stared at the ceiling, as he waited for his Pine Tree to make a move or ask him something else, or just lay out a plan for them.**

Dipper was thinking about what they were going to do on his steady walk across the room, but in the end, he didn't say any of it when he sat down. "Are you okay?" He asked instead, gently settling a hand on Bill's knee.

**Bill huffed a laugh and rubbed his eyes. Again with the stupid questions... "I'm better now," the demon said. It wasn't really a lie, he wasn't okay but he was definitely better than he had been a few minutes again. At least he didn't feel the urge to destroy the room anymore.**

Dipper nodded a little, sliding a little closer. "Okay. Do you want to talk about it, or do you want to be quiet for a while?"

**"What do you want?" Bill took Dipper's hand, the one resting on his knee, and pulled him down. "You're the one that cares about that family of yours and what they think of you."**

Dipper went down easily, settling on his side next to Bill. "I want you to be happy," he started. "And I want my family happy. Preferably, you all could be happy together."

**"I thought you weren't as naive as before." The demon pulled Dipper closer, wrapping an arm around him and placing his hand on the human's lower back.**

"There's a difference between wanting to be able to take you home and have everyone get along," he murmured, gently brushing his fingers along Bill's hip, "And knowing that it isn't going to happen and that it's just a pipedream."

**"I think I can be happy just having you," Bill finally said and smirked. "But shouldn't I want you to be happy as well?" The demon caressed Dipper's cheek with the back of his fingers and then pushed his hair out of the way, revealing his birthmark.**

“That’s good to know,” Dipper chuckled softly, leaning into the touch and nuzzling closer. “Well... do you want me to be happy?” He countered.

**"I guess... maybe." Bill's hand on Dipper's back went a little lower and squeezed the human's ass. "I know I want you to be mine. Would that make you happy?"**

Dipper shivered slightly. “I’m already yours,” he murmured, smiling a little. “And I am happy.” He could be happier, of course, but right now... things were okay. “We were going to talk about things,” he suddenly remembered.

**Bill groaned a little and moved his hand away from Dipper's head, letting his hair go back to covering the birthmark. Did they really need to talk? They were doing okay like this... Dipper had literally just said he was happy!**

Dipper let out a surprised laugh, taking Bill’s hand again. “Please?” He asked softly. “You said you didn’t understand. That you didn’t know why you were doing the things you were doing. Let’s figure it out.”

**The demon hesitated for a few moments and then he moved to a sitting position, resting his back against the wall. "Alright, let's talk then." He wasn't completely sure if he wanted to understand what he was feeling, but he had told Dipper they would talk and he might be a demon, but his word was -usually- his bond.**

Dipper sat up as well, turning so he was facing Bill, hands folded in his lap. "Alright. Where do you want to start? I can lead the conversation if you want, help you understand if you give me a starting point."

**Bill nodded and thought for a moment. "I feel like I'm divided in a way," Bill started explaining. "In my mind. The dreams... I enjoyed them, I enjoyed them so much, but..." But then he had also felt awful.**

"But?" He coaxed gently, nodding slowly. "But what?" Of course, Bill would have liked the dreams, the nightmares, he had spent how long doing that all the time? It made sense.

**"When I woke up I also felt bad, for hurting you." The dream demon looked down at his hands and started fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. It was only hurting Dipper that bothered him though, the rest had been okay, fun even... But he knew there was a big chance the human would freak out if he revealed that and he didn't want that.**

Dipper nodded again, the smallest smile playing across his lips. "Bill... hey, that's okay," he assured gently. "You spent your entire life like that, right? It's okay to still find those things fun as long as you aren't actually hurting anyone."

**"So I can think about having fun but not actually have fun at all? And I wondered why you humans were so dull..." Well, he had made it this far, right? Then again, up until now, he had had to be careful because nobody was supposed to find out who he was.**

"We can find other things that are fun. But Bill, I can't just let your murder people and destroy towns," he pointed out with a fond smile.

**Bill pouted a little and leaned against Dipper's shoulder. "Don't worry, it's not like you'll need to stop me as long as I'm in Gravity Falls, we have a deal."**

"But I will need to worry about stopping you if we leave," Dipper said, jumping to the next logical conclusion, sliding an arm around Bill's waist. "I'd really rather not do that."

**"I can't leave this town, kid, remember?" Bill said with a smug look on his face. "So stop worrying so much." He turned to face him. "I still don't get it though, why you? Why do I seem to care about you."**

"I never was completely sure if that was the truth," Dipper hummed. "Or if things were different because you're human now." He smiled a little, brushing a kiss along Bill's shoulder. "Might it be because I care about you, and I'm not scared of you, and I don't let you get away with anything?" He asked teasingly.

**"Oh, if it wasn't because of our deal you wouldn't be able to stop me, sapling," Bill said, though maybe Dipper had a point. He wasn't the first person in the universe that had trusted him, but he was the first person to do so and to care about him while still knowing who he was and the things he had done.**

"I have before," he said serenely. "I could do it again if necessary. But it won't be."

**"And why is that? Why are you so sure?" The demon glanced at Dipper's lips for a second before looking up at his eyes once again. "I have new weapons now, new ways to make you do what I want because you opened up to me..."**

"But you won't use them against me," he insisted, smiling ever so slowly. "Because hurting me upset you.

**Bill run his index finger down Dipper's throat and let out a bitter laugh. "Yet another reason why I'm weak now."**

"No. A reason you're stronger now," Dipper assured, tipping his head slightly. "Because you have someone. Having someone isn't a weakness, Bill, it makes you better."

**"No, it doesn't, people use that against you. I've done it thousands of times." And still, he didn't really want to end this. He hadn't had a real relationship with anyone since he had destroyed his dimension. Bill leaned forward and placed a kiss to Dipper's neck, then nipped at it a little.**

"But people won't be able to use me against you," Dipper murmured, shivering and letting out a soft breath. Okay, they were getting sidetracked, but that was okay- they did good, so far. "Because of one, you wouldn't actually let the happen. Two, neither would I. Three.. Come on, Bill. Don't act like I can't fight."

**"But can you, kid?" Bill moved away and looked at Dipper with worry in his eyes, the smile gone. "I know you're a mess. I know what you've done, I asked Ford." The demon took Dipper's arm and slip one hand under the sleeve of his flannel. "You've welcomed the idea of death more than once."**

Dipper paused for a moment before sighing softly. “That was before,” he murmured. “I’m better now, I haven’t... done something like that in years. And yes, I’m still a mess, but Bill...” he shook his head. “Mabel asked if I was sure. If I knew what I was doing. And I told her of course I did because I hadn’t felt this stable, this sane, in years. You’re helping me get a grasp on reality again. So yes, I’m sure I can, because why would I let myself die when things are finally starting to look up again?" He shifted slightly to press his fingers against Bill's cheek. "And if you don't believe that, then think about it this way: Why, would I ever, do something that would cause you pain? I'm self-sacrificing to the point of insanity."

**"I feel like that shouldn't exactly be reassuring to me..." Bill didn't want Dipper to sacrifice anything for him, he wouldn't let him fight his battles. "Unless you mean you won't get hurt because that would hurt me in return." It still wasn't right, Dipper shouldn't put his own well-being in the hands of someone like the dream demon, who wasn't exactly stable... Or well, he was, just not in a good way, he was stable in his own chaos.**

"I meant that I'm not going to do something stupid, I'm not going to give up, because I have you," Dipper explained. "And yeah, it's not the most healthy thing, but until I can... until I'm completely better.. it works."

**Bill sighed and smiled a little. "And you really think being around me won't end up making things worse? It's not like I haven't caused you pain since I got back." Bill pulled down the collar of Dipper's shirt a little, revealing the first bite he had given him back when he couldn't just make it go away completely. And that was just a visible scar...**

"Yes. It was something my therapist talked about, back when they were still making me go. It's easier to accept that what happened was real, to understand it and move on, with you here. And I'm... untraining myself to be scared with you around. I don't need to panic. Or expect the worst," he tried to explain, waving his hand a little.

**The demon nodded in understanding. He supposed he could accept that... He simply wanted Dipper to be sure that this would be okay for him because, again, it really made him feel awful to hurt the other and he didn't want to feel like that again if he could help it. "Then I'll do my best to make you not be afraid of me anymore."**

"You're already doing a great job of it," he assured, smiling softly and running his thumb against his cheek slowly. "I already trust you more, I'm already not panicking as much."

**"I'm glad to hear that." Bill moved a bit closer and rested his head on Dipper's shoulder. "How are you feeling? I know I took a lot of blood from you this morning, I didn't mean to, I just..." He had needed it and without it, he wouldn’t have able to get rid of Ford's weapon and he would be dead now...**

Dipper snuggled closer to him, sighing slowly. “I’m okay... tired, but I don’t feel dizzy or anything.” He nuzzled against him. “And I’m not upset or anything. You had to.”

**"I shouldn't have lost control like that though if Ford hadn't interrupted us..." God, the idea of Dipper dying in his arms because of him was terrifying to the demon. It was so strange considering he had fantasized about killing Dipper -and everyone else in Gravity Falls- more than a few times in the past.**

“Hey... hey, shhh,” Dipper whispered. “Shh, sweetheart, it’s okay. I know you didn’t mean to, but it’s okay. You didn’t hurt me, I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” It had been a little scary, but things were okay now. They’d be okay.

**Bill huffed a laugh and opened his eyes, glancing up at Dipper. "You're going to be giving me nicknames too now, huh?" He was surprisingly okay with that, as long as Dipper didn't decide to start calling him dorito.**

“Only if you want me to,” Dipper smiled. “If you hate it I won’t. Sweetheart.” Gently, he pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

**"I don't hate it," Bill said and closed his eye again. What he did hate though was that he was still tired and he couldn't -well, he could, but he wouldn't- ask Dipper for more blood. Maybe some human food could do the job though. "Aren't you hungry?"**

Dipper grinned, nodding a little. “Alright then.” Pausing, he nodded again. ”Yeah, actually. I am. Want me to see what we can get here? Maybe something delivered.”

**"Yes, that would be great." Bill moved away from Dipper, so that the other could do whatever he had to do, and laid on the bed once again, next to the human, arms over his head and eye closed. "Get something good, something I haven't tried yet."**

“Have you had pizza yet?” He asked, looking up nearby places that would deliver to the hotel. He couldn’t remember ordering any lately, but he had been in a bit of a fog, so...

**"Yes, Stan ordered once..." Bill wasn't surprised Dipper had missed that, it had been one of those nights he had skipped dinner. "But I haven't tried all kinds of pizza so..."**

"What kind did you have?" He asked, flipping through a menu on his phone.

**"Pineapple. It was really good," Bill said, completely unaware of the repercussions his answer could have. He had no idea that Stan had actually ordered that as a joke, hoping Bill to get offended that someone would even think about ordering pineapple pizza, and he had been left awestruck when the demon ate it and for some twisted reason liked it.**

Dipper paused. "Right. Of course, he did," he said quietly. "So we're going to get an actual good pizza this time. Maybe pepperoni and sausage..."

**Bill frowned a little and glanced at the other. "What do you have against pineapple pizza? It doesn't even grow on trees, you don't have to feel like they are attacking your brothers and sisters to make it!" Bill laughed. Though really, why wouldn't Dipper like suck a good pizza?**

"Because I don't? For starters, warm pineapple is gross. And then you smother it in cheese and tomato sauce? Gross."

**"I think I'm starting to feel the need to rip out your heart, Mason," Bill said in a completely serious tone. Of course, he was joking, but really? He had loved that pizza!**

"I don't know if this relationship is going to work," Dipper said in that exact same tone, also teasing.

**"That's a shame, just when I was starting to think maybe we could rule this dimension together... I guess I'll have to start looking for someone else." Bill shrugged. "Maybe the real Will might be up for it."**

Dipper was about to shoot back his comeback, but he paused. "Wait... what?"

**Bill grinned. He knew that would catch Dipper off guard and he would have nothing to say after. "Oh, nothing, don't worry your pretty little head about it. I win though, pineapple pizza is good."**

Dipper frowned, turning to face Bill. "Were you serious, Bill?" He asked softly, lightly.

**"Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't. That's for me to know and you to find out." The demon grinned. "I know you love a good mystery."**

He fidgeted with his phone for a few moments before turning away to place the call. What did that mean, the real Will?

**Oh, oh, he was evil. This was perfect, he wasn't actually causing Dipper harm, he was more like giving him something to obsess about? Which, okay, wasn't all that great, but come on! The kid loved mysteries, he would certainly have fun trying to solve that one! And Bill would be able to sit back and enjoy how the other got frustrated over it.**

Dipper ordered the pizza, talking to the person on the other side of the phone for a few minutes before hanging up. Turning to face Bill, he arched an eyebrow. "Is there even a 'real Will?"

**"Well, there are more or less 30,000 people in the USA going by that name, so yes, there are real Wills out there," Bill said with a smirk on his face.**

“But there’s no ‘real Will’ that you based your Will off of. You just said that to win the argument.”

**"I told you it was a mystery for you, I'm not going to just hand you all the answers," Bil said and then he booped Dipper's nose.**

“It’s not a mystery! You totally just made him up to distract me!” Dipper laughed, pulling away from his hand.

**"Alright, Pine Tree, if you say so, but think about this, how many times have I actually lied to you?" The demon laughed. He rolled over and straddled the other's lap.**

Dipper huffed softly. “You do realize that I’m going to obsess over this endlessly, right? I will not stop.”

**"I know, that's what makes it so fun." The demon had found a good source of entertainment. "You were right, I don't need to dismember people to have fun!"**

Dipper frowned, moving away from him to sit on the floor and pull his laptop from his bag. “Let me know when the pizza gets here,” he mumbled, starting to type.

**"I will!" Bill said and then he laid down for a little while longer until he got bored and decided to spy on whatever Dipper was doing. He slowly stood up from the bed, trying not to make any kind of noise, and walked to the other to stand behind him and look over his shoulder.**

Dipper glanced up at him, changing tabs to a note page and continuing to type.

**Bill was about to start reading what Dipper was typing when someone knocked on the door of their room. "I'm guessing that's the pizza..." Bill grabbed his eyepatch from the bedside table and laid down on the bed. "Are you going to make the blind guy get it, Mason?"**

Dipper shut his laptop and stood. “Take a seat, you dork,” he hummed, going to the door to get the pizza. Tipping the guy at the door, he set the box on the table and made Bill a plate. “Here you go!

**As soon as the door was closed, Bill took off the eyepatch. "Humor me, what do you have so far?" He asked and then grabbed a  slice of pizza from the plate. The demon took a large bite and let out a quiet moan. "This is good," he admitted once he had swallowed. "Not as good as pineapple pizza though." It was a lie, it was better, but he wasn't going to let Dipper win.**

“Nothing. I have nothing, you didn’t give me anything to work with,” Dipper mumbled, ignoring the pizza so he could go back to work. “Hmm... glad you like it.”

**"Hey, eat something too." Bill took a slice from the box and handed it to Dipper. "If you do then I might give you another clue." He winked at him.**

Dipper glanced up at him, arching an eyebrow before taking the slice and biting into it. “Alright, alright, fine.”

**"Great! You're not such a good person," the demon said. Bill then turned around and returned to the bed, not caring about getting oil stains on the covers.**

“What gave you the impression I was?” He asked, munching on his pizza as he continued to type

**"No, no, you idiot, that's your clue." Bill rolled his eyes. Sheesh, why did he have to spell out everything? What had happened to his favorite Mystery Twin over the years?**

Dipper arched an eyebrow. “How exactly was I supposed to know that?” He questioned, starting with prison records.

**"I just told you I'd give you a clue, so you should have assumed that the next thing I would say would be it." The demon finished his slice of pizza and took another one. For a brief moment he thought about letting Dipper know he wouldn't really be finding anything about it on the internet, but he decided against it in the end. He would tell him tomorrow and enjoy the other's frustration for a little while longer.**

“I expected you to wait until I had actually eaten, considering that that was the conditions,” he responded, wiping his hands off before turning hall of his focus back to the monitor before him. There was a chance Bill was making everything up, that this was all a joke— but Dipper had to know for sure.

**"You had a bite, so I just went for it. I expect you to eat more than one slice, though, or else I might have to erase your memory of the last couple of minutes," Bill warned the human before going back to eating.**

“You don’t have the energy to waste,” Dipper said calmly, making a small note in his document.

**"Maybe I'll do it anyway and I know you don't want me to pass out again." He wouldn't do it, passing out and feeling like he was in the brink of death wasn't exactly fun.**

Dipper glanced up at Bill. "I don't, know, but considering how much you took earlier today I think giving you more would be a bad idea in the long run," he said quietly.

**Bill bit his lip. "Maybe..." He took another slice of pizza and finished it before walking back to stand next to the other man. "You just wrote the clue that I gave you and the name. I thought you'd have more by now, you're getting slow."**

Dipper turned to face Bill, holding his computer out to him- with its 15 separate tabs open. "I'm still researching. There's no point in taking notes on any random Will I find."

**"You're adorable." Bill kissed Dipper's forehead and ruffled his hair a little so that his birthmark would stay visible. He liked it. "I'm going to get ready for bed, try to get some sleep as well, nerd." Bill then headed into the bathroom and took care of everything before walking out, wearing only his underwear, and getting under the covers.**

Dipper leaned up into the touch, smiling softly. "I promise nothing," he said simply, chuckling softly as he shifted to lean against the foot of the bed. Whistling teasingly as Bill walked out, he wished him a good night.

**Bill rolled his eyes when the other whistled. If he hadn't been so tired he would have walked up to him and given him a reason to join him in bed, but he really needed to sleep. "Goodnight, my sapling." He murmured once he was completely covered by the blankets. It didn't take him long to fall asleep.**

Dipper turned off the lights, settling back in his place. Dammit, Bill had dug the mystery in just deep enough for the human to know he wasn't going to get any sleep until he had something, anything to grab on to.

 

**While it was great that Bill had managed to fall asleep fast, his dreams weren't all that awesome. He found himself in the Mystery Shack, tied to a chair, Ford and Dipper walking around him as they discussed how they would end him. Bill wasn't used to nightmares, ever since becoming human, he had had maybe two of them? It was the worst for the dream demon. One thing was not to have control over the nice things that could happen in his mind and wake up in the middle of the night hard and frustrated... Something completely different was to do it screaming because the only person he trusted in that dimension had been trying to carve the names of everyone he had ever hurt onto his fragile human skin.**

Dipper had already turned the lamp on and was kneeling on the end of the bed when Bill woke- he had still been awake, after all, still typing away when he'd heard the first few sounds, the telltale signs of a nightmare. And, god, he just wanted to help. "Bill," he said gently, not touching, hands up. "Hey, hey, shhh, you're okay."

**It took a few seconds for Bill to realize where he was, but when he did he let out a sigh of relief. The demon glanced at the human and tried to smile. "I swear, Pine Tree, I hate being human." He wasn't made for it, he really wasn't. Bill closed rubbed his eye and took a few deep breaths. He couldn't get dream-Dipper's face out of his mind.**

He let the nickname slide this time, Bill was obviously upset. Instead, he took a deep breath and slid just a little bit closer. "Is it okay if I touch you?" He asked quietly.

**Bill hesitated for a moment before nodding. This was the real Dipper and he wouldn't hurt him... Even if he did have the freaking Zodiac tattooed on his arm as a reminder of how to defeat him.**

Dipper moved closer slowly, reaching out to take Bill’s hand; starting slow, easing him into the contact. “It’s okay,” he said again. “It’s all okay now.”

**Bill had to stop himself from flinching when the other finally touched him. Dipper was right, everything was okay now, the nightmare had ended and it was stupid of Bill to still be upset about it. "Sorry I... I just hate this." He glanced away from Dipper and noticed the guy's laptop was still on. The demon frowned. "You're still doing research?"**

Dipper shook his head a little, smiling gently as he reached up with his other hand to cup Bill’s cheek. “No, sweetheart. It’s okay. You’re supposed to be upset after a nightmare, that’s the point of them.” Glancing back, he nodded, flashing a small crooked grin. “Yeah. But it really hasn’t been that long.”

**Bill glanced at the clock on the bedside table and then back at Dipper, an annoyed look on his face. It was three AM. "Mason Pines, turn off your laptop and get in the fucking bed." He wouldn't say that maybe the main reason why he wanted the other to get under the covers for once and for all was that he was hoping it would help him with the nightmares.**

Dipper glanced at the clock- wait, really? He honestly hadn’t noticed. Sitting back, he laughed a little hanging off the bed to shut his laptop down and slide it out of the way. Satisfied, he moved back to lay next to Bill.

**Bill smiled a little and moved closer to the other. “You need to pay more attention,” the demon murmured and closed his eye again, making himself comfortable against Dipper.**

“You were asleep,” he pointed out, gently holding him against his chest and kissing his head. “.. do you want to talk about it?”

**Bill shook his head. “You wouldn’t like to hear about it,” he murmured. The thing was he didn’t want to think too much about it either, it was over, no need to ponder on it, right?**

“That doesn’t matter,” Dipper said quietly. “And you certainly don’t have to talk about it. I just find it usually helps me move past them. If you don’t think it’ll help you, then we won’t.” He smiled soothingly.

**"Not now, I just want to go back to sleep." He was still tired after all. Maybe in the morning, he would feel different about telling Pine Tree, they would have to wait and see.**

"Alright," Dipper said gently, settling down to keep him the slightest bit closer.

**"Night," Bill said and snuggled a little closer to the other man, throwing a leg over Dipper's. This time it was a little harder for him to fall asleep, but at least he didn't have another nightmare.**

Dipper didn't even think about sleeping until he was sure Bill was completely out- only then did he close his eyes and let himself drift off into a nightmare free rest.


	14. Research and Sex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill and Dipper start researching on how to get Bill's powers back. Also, they get distracted.
> 
> NSFW content ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, two updates in a week... I'm preparing you because the next few weeks are likely to be really complicated for me and I don't know if I'll be able to post new chapters... I'll try though - Alga

**Bill couldn't remember what he had dreamed the next morning when he woke up. At first, he was a little confused as to where he was, but when he noticed Dipper was by his side -keeping him real close actually- he found himself smiling, a warm feeling spreading through him.**

Dipper was still asleep, happily snuggled up into Bill's side and keeping him pressed there. He was completely calm, lost in some pleasant dream.

**Bill didn't want to wake up Dipper, he was calm and he didn't want to take that away from him. The idea of entering his mind to take a look at what he was dreaming about crossed the demon's mind, but he remembered what had happened the night before and didn't. He didn't want to ruin Dipper's dreams. Instead, the demon untangled himself from Dipper's arms and put on some clothes. He was hungry and he was sure the hotel had to have a cafeteria. The demon put on his eyepatch and walked out of the room, leaning on the walls to keep the impression that he was blind while he used his All-Seeing eye to make his way through the hotel.**

It wasn't long before one of the workers noticed Bill, approaching and lightly tapping him on the shoulder. "Do you require any assistance, sir?" She asked, not even a little bothered by the eyepatch-bandages combination.

**Bill smiled and nodded a little. He looked around for a moment, pretending to be trying to find her voice.  "Please? I was hoping to have breakfast. You have a cafeteria here, right? I'm staying in room 104."**

"Of course," she hummed, smiling just a little as she glanced around. "Is it alright if I touch you, sir? I can guide you there."

**"Yes, of course." Bill offered the woman his arm and let her guide him to a table. He didn't like to be treated like this like he needed the help of some pathetic human, but he knew he had to keep up the act. As stupid as most people in Gravity Falls were, his eye would raise questions.**

She led him down to the cafeteria, making sure he was at a table. "Is there anything else I can do for you today?" She asked, knowing better than to assume anything

**Bill sat down and turned to sort of face the woman. "Can I order my breakfast from you or...?"**

"Sure," she agreed, producing a notepad and a pen for one of the pockets in her uniform jacket. "Anything specific you already know you want?"

**"Coffee and waffles with syrup," the demon asked with a smile. It seemed like the best option, not too complicated or anything, it shouldn't take them too long to make**

She made the note. "It should be out in just a few minutes," she hummed, moving away from the table to deal with that.

**"Oh and," Bill started saying, but then he noticed she had left already. He had wanted to ask her if they could let Dipper know where he was, once he woke up... Well, the demon hoped he wouldn't freak out too much.**

Dipper was forcing himself not to, actually. He had woken up alone, had instantly thought the worst. It took a little while to calm himself down enough to actually leave the room and go looking for the demon. "There you are," he said, letting out a sigh of relief and taking a seat next to Bill just as the worker delivered his coffee and waffles.

**"Morning, Mason." Bill took his cup of coffee and took a long sip. "I didn't want to wake you up, you needed to sleep." The human had gone to bed really late, he definitely needed it more than the demon.**

"Morning, Bill," he greeted quietly, ordering a coffee as well. "Right, I know you're right. But I still worried.."

**"Next time I'll leave you a note." The demon took a bite of his waffles. They weren't as good as he would have expected, but they weren't bad either. "So, tell me, what did you find out yesterday?"**

"Thank you," he hummed, sipping at his coffee slowly. Not bad, really. Could have been worse. "Nothing of importance."

**Bill nodded and took another sip. "Yeah, well, it's not like you'll find anything about it on the internet... Have you come up with any theories?"**

"Besides you just making it up to mess with me? I hacked into some prison records, there are some possibilities there. Also, a few people went missing named Will, that makes sense.

**"I didn't make it up and I just gave you another clue, kid." Bill grinned and took another sip of his coffee. The demon swallowed and then filled his mouth with a large bite of waffles. He wouldn't say anything else, for now...**

"How am I supposed to find anything about him if he's not anywhere on the internet?" He grumbled, finishing his cup.

**Bill huffed a laugh and swallowed. "You need to think outside the box, kid." Bill scratched around the bandage. That thing was getting rather annoying, he was pretty sure it was completely healed too so that made it even worse, because he could just take it off. "Maybe I should start using sunglasses when we're in public..."**

Dipper rolled his eyes. “I suppose I’ll go to the library instead,” he hummed, reaching up to catch his hand. “We’ll get you a pair.”

**"I'd hit Fordsy' library or maybe that friend of his." That was enough, he had given him too many clues already. "You really have no theories though? You're disappointing me, Mason Pines."**

“Well, it could be a lot of things. Is it you, Bill? Are you Will?” He asked, arching an eyebrow.

**Bill kept quiet for a moment and took a bite of his waffle as he thought about how to reply to that. "I feel like answering that would make things way too easy for you," he finally said, once he had swallowed.**

“Because it is you, isn’t it. Either you from your original home... Or a different version of you. From a different dimension.”

**"Now you might be getting closer." He knew it wouldn't take that long for Dipper to figure it out, though there was still a lot of mystery around that name if he wanted to investigate a little bit.**

He paused, humming thoughtfully. “Are there?” He finally asked. “Different versions of you?”

**"Yes, don't ask me how many though, I only know one. I'm the best version of me though." Bill grinned and finished his coffee.**

“And there’s one named Will. Who... you borrowed the name from, and... some of the personality, maybe? The..” Hm... alright, time to guess. “About not being as good of a person as you seem?”

**Bill shook his head. "I didn't say that about me. This other me is nothing like me or the 'Will' you met months ago. I don't think I could act like him even if I wanted to!" The demon laughed.**

“So what does he have to do with anything?” He asked curiously.

**"Nothing really, I just thought you'd like a small mystery. I shouldn't have given you so many clues, now it's sort of over." The demon sighed and rested his head on the table. "Did you enjoy it?"**

“No, it’s was great! I loved it, the clues and everything.” He smiled brightly.

**"I was hoping it would last longer." Bill shrugged a little bit smiled. "I mean, there's more you could learn about him if you wanted, but I'm not going to just tell you everything." Bill reached for Dipper's face and gently caressed his cheek.**

He leaned into the touch slightly. “Guess I’ll have to go looking for information,” he hummed, still smiling.

**"Great, just remember to sleep," Bill said and leaned a little forward to kiss Dipper. He was hoping this would keep them both entertained while Stan and Mabel worked on convincing Ford about letting them stay at the shack once again... Convince him for real, not just so that he could kill the demon the second he put a foot in the place.**

“I will, I will,” he laughed, kissing him back. “Especially when I get to sleep curled up with you.” Lightly, he brushed his fingers down Bill’s cheek, against the side of his neck. This might be their life now, he was accepting that. Hopefully, Ford would see reason, but... He smiled again. “What do you want to do after this?”

**"Well, we have a ton of free time, since Ford doesn't want us in the shack..." He wondered how Stan would deal with that, he had just lost two employees. "I don't know... I'd love to make some progress on getting my powers back..."**

“Yeah, that’s gonna be nuts...” at least Stan was still depositing money into his account, they’d be okay for a while. “Where do you think we should start? Cause we could do that, I have no objections.”

**"I think my statue would be a good place, last time I was there I could feel something." Of course, that would mean going into the woods and there would be a chance of running across Ford. "But maybe that's not the best idea," Bill sighed. "Do you think maybe Fiddleford might have some information about this? Is he still alive?"**

Dipper nodded along slowly, thinking about it. The statue would be a good starting point, really, if Ford wasn’t there... They had to, there had to be a way... right? “Hm? Oh, yeah, he’s still alive,” he said absentmindedly. “I don’t think he’s in town right now, but he doesn’t care if I use his lab or anything, so we could start there.”

**Great! Maybe that would be the best starting point then. “What are we waiting for then?” Bill stood up, assuming Dipper had finished his breakfast as well.**

Dipper laughed softly, standing and taking Bill’s hand. “Nothing, I suppose.” Leaving a couple dollars for a tip, he led Bill away, back to their room to get dressed.

**The demon moved the eyepatch to his other eye as soon as they reached the room, letting it cover the bandage. “How much do you think the people of Gravity Falls might freak out if they see my eye?” He asked, entertaining the idea of just stopping with the whole act.**

"Depends on who it is, I guess," Dipper hummed thoughtfully, pulling his shirt over his head to change into a different one, digging through the drawer he had claimed. "Like... Some of them wouldn't even notice. Some would panic. A couple might attack you on sight. But, we could get you colored contacts to cover it if you wanted." He turned back, pulling his shirt over his head. "Or you could just wear sunglasses, we'd get you a walking stick and really sell the blind thing," he continued as he tugged out clean jeans and changed into them.

**“Yes, I mean, pretending to be blind will have its advantages... I just don’t like the fact that other humans will think I need help to do most things.” The demon wasn’t sure for how long he would be able to stand to be treated like some weak human that couldn’t do the most simple stuff on his own. “If we go for that I’m going to need a fake eye, I don’t think using both sunglasses and an eyepatch will make that much sense,” Bill added and took a few steps towards Dipper once the other had finished changing. “Do you mind checking if it’s already healed? I’m pretty sure it is, but...”**

“Alright.” He nodded a little. “So we have a couple options. We could either go with moving the eyepatch to the other eye and getting contacts to hide this one or glasses. And I think they’re supposed to be thick enough to hide your eyes completely if we go with that,” he hummed. Pausing for just a moment, he nodded, gently pushing Bill down on the bed. “Yeah... Yeah, of course,” he said, voice quieter now as he came closer and carefully started unwinding the bandages.

**“I’ll go with whatever you think will make me look better,” Bill said and winked at the human. He waited patiently for the other to get rid of the bandages, but when he finally uncovered his eye, Bill closed the working one, a little bit afraid of the Dipper’s reaction, if he had to be honest.**

“I really like the eyepatch. It’s... I don’t know.. it’s attractive,” he murmured, making sure the bandages came free of his hair without any problems, smoothing the blonde strands back as he went. Sucking in a little breath, he let them fall on the bed. “Oh...” Carefully, so very carefully, he pressed a kiss to Bill’s forehead, his cheek. “Does it still hurt?”

**Bill blushed a little when the other kissed him and slowly he opened his eye. “Eyepatch it is then. I don’t need to pretend to be blind to have an advantage over Ford, he just doesn’t have to know I can still see** **_everything_ ** **.” The demon’s eye turned blue for a moment as he said that last part. “Not anymore...” he reassured the human. “Does it look too bad?” It probably did, he was missing an eye, for god’s sake.**

Dipper nodded slowly. “And you shouldn’t get as many headaches with the eyepatch over this eye instead,” he said, cupping his cheek gently as he looked at him for a few moments. “It looks... well, I’ve seen worse. It’s still kinda red and looks painful, but it’s not... it’s definitely healed.”

**Bill sighed and smiled a little, then covered the damaged eye socket with the eyepatch so that Dipper wouldn’t have to look at it more than necessary. “It could have definitely been worse.”**

His breathing hitched for just a moment. “Y-Yeah. It could have been,” he agreed, gently carding his fingers through Bill’s hair to push it back into place.

**“Hey...” Bill cupped the human’s cheek gently and smiled softly at him. It was really a strange thing to see the demon smile like that, but around Dipper, it seemed to be more and more common the longer they spent together.**

Dipper leaned into the touch gently, but it was a few minutes before he was able to smile back, reaching up to cover Bill's hand with his own. He really... he really liked that smile, soft and soothing and nothing like what he would normally imagine coming from the demon. Something that seemed only reserved for him.

**Bill gently caressed Dipper’s cheek and then moved his hand and took Dipper’s lowering it to his lap. “Something wrong? You know you can tell me...”**

Dipper shook his head a little. “It’s just... really hitting me. How close I came to losing you.” He smiled weakly.

**Bill rolled his eyes and stood up from the bed, pulling Dipper up with him. "No need to ponder on that sort of thing when I'm still here, kid. Imagine how much of a mess I'd be if I kept thinking about the things that could have killed me in the past!" The demon laughed.**

Dipper didn’t react for a few minutes, simply standing. “Humans need to process things like that,” he explained quietly. “And I never really let myself before, with this. But humans need to or we develop the kind of problems I had when I was younger.

**“Huh...” Bill crossed his arms over his chest as he gave that idea a thought. He wondered if that counted for demons as well... maybe not letting himself process stuff had made him become the way he was... Nah, no way. “Well, I’ll let you process. Anyway I can help? Do you want me to play dead?” He joked.**

He pushed Bill lightly, laughing. “No, I don’t! I just needed a few minutes to deal with the emotions. You’re okay. Everything’s okay.” He smiled after a moment, taking Bill’s hand. “What do you want to do about your eye, then? Contacts?”

**“Yes, since you think the eyepatch looks hot.” Bill grinned and pulled the human closer, wrapping his arms around his waist and pressing their foreheads together. “Maybe tonight I’ll question you a little more about what other things you find hot...”**

Dipper grinned, nuzzling against him slightly. “I do. Makes you seem just a little bit dangerous,” he almost purred, sliding his arms around Bill’s neck. “I’m looking forward to it.”

**“You should know by now that I’m more than a little bit dangerous, kid,” Bill smirked, then kissed Dipper, gently nipping at the other’s lower lip before pulling away. “Let’s go, I’m tired of wasting time.”**

“I’m well aware, don’t you worry,” Dipper grinned, kissing him back and gasping just a little. “Right, Yeah. Come on.” He headed for the door.

**Bill followed the other. He hoped they would manage to find something today, anything that would make it easier for him to understand how to get his powers back.**

Dipper hummed softly as he led the way to the car, opening Bill’s door with a dramatic flourish before moving to his side. It didn't take them very long to reach their destination, Dipper humming a little as he climbed out of the car.

**"Hey, seems like this guy got his life back together!" Bill mentioned, noticing they were nowhere near the junkyard. "Did he get all his memories back?"**

Dipper nodded. "Yeah, I think so. He bought the Northwest manor, he's doing alright." Smiling a little, he parked and got out, standing in the car door for a moment before shutting it.

**"Nice, definitely an upgrade." Bill gets out of the car and follows Dipper inside. "I wonder if the old altar in the basement is still intact... The Northwest family used to worship me, did you know? A long time ago though."**

"Huh... I think so. I think McGucket kept it around, just in case. But I haven't really been in the basement; the best part about living here, alone, is that he was able to put his lab anywhere." He fanned out his keys, picking out one wrapped in blue taped and unlocking the door with it.

**"I'll check it out later if you don't mind, there might be something useful there," Bill mentioned. The truth was he really didn't expect Fiddleford to have kept something like that, considering how terrified he had always been of him... but maybe he was wrong.**

"No, I don't mind. As long as you don't cause any problems," he teased lightly, shutting and locking the door behind them again. Dipper knew that the older man was still pretty paranoid, so there was an equal chance that he had destroyed everything related to Bill... or kept it just in case he returned. "Alright. There's a library, a lab, and the basement. Where do you want to start?"

**"Library." If anyone other than Ford had books about interdimensional beings like him, that would be Fiddleford McGucket. It seemed like the best place to start. "The lab is probably just full of his inventions, don't think there will be anything we might need in there."**

"Fair enough," he hummed, leading the way through the manor to the library. Pushing open the door, he smiled a little. "Alright, I guess... I don't know if he has an organization system that makes any sense."

**"We'll have to figure it out," Bill said and then he walked up to the closest shelf and started reading the titles on the spines of the books. He grabbed anything that caught his eye and placed it on of the library's tables. He and Dipper had a long day ahead of them, it seemed.**

Dipper picked a different shelf, on the other side of the room, and started there, sliding his hand along the bindings as he went, gathering several books that looked like they might be even a little bit useful before retreating to a table to take a look.

**Bill stopped half-way through his side of the library because he felt like his pile of books was big enough. Once he had gone through most of them he would go back to the others. The demon grabbed the first book of the pile and sat down to give it a quick inspection. Once he was done with that one he grabbed another one and so on. So far he hadn't had any luck.**

"Hey, Bill, how fast can you translate this," he asked, dropping a book in front of him. "I could do it, but it would take me a while."

**Bill glanced at the book and grinned. "This is easy," he told the other and looked up from the book. He handed Dipper the one he was currently going through. "Just leave any book that's not in English to me, unless you think you won't have a problem with it, it'll be faster that way."**

Dipper took the book with a smile. “Sure thing,” he agreed, taking his seat again to pick up where Bill left off.

**“Oh... This is interesting...” It was a book about the Axolotl, about how different cultures -both from Dipper’s dimension and others- thought his powers worked. “Do you think we could take this one with us?”**

“Sure. Just write down the title as I can let him know we borrowed it.” Dipper hummed, shutting the book and moving on.

**Bil nodded and did what he was told, then he put the book aside, starting another pile -books they would borrow, of course- and continued searching for others that might prove to be useful.**

Dipper rubbed his eyes nearly two hours later, stretching his arms over his head. “Alright, I’m taking a break. I’m making tea, do you want anything?”

**Bill didn’t look up from the books. Sure, maybe he was a little tired of flipping through pages without finding anything that could help, not even interesting info, but he didn’t want to waste time. The sooner they finished going through all of Fiddleford’s books, the closer they would be to having something, right? “I’ll have whatever you’ll be having, Pine Tree,” the demon said distractedly.**

“Alright.” Dipper headed into the kitchen, coming back a few minutes later with two cups. Setting one next to Bill, he gently covered his good eye. “Stop for a second, okay? It’s not good for your body. Drink some of your tea, close your eye for a minute."

**Bill sighed and closed the book, then grabbed Dipper’s hand and looked up at him. “I just want this to be over,” he said before glancing at the cup. It smelled good. “Thanks,” He thanked the human and grabbed the cup. He took a sip.**

Dipper squeezed his hand gently, bringing his other hand up to brush his fingers through Bill's hair slowly, soothingly. "I know you do. But you still have to take a break every once in a while to keep this body in good shape. You're welcome." He dropped a kiss to his forehead.

**The demon took another long sip and then grabbed Dipper’s wrist and pulled him down so that the human would sit with him. “Look at us, taking care of each other...” he murmured in Dipper’s ear. “Think you’ll be okay with giving me my fix later?” He added, gently running his fingers over Dipper’s neck.**

Settling into his seat, he laughed softly and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. "I know... it's nice, isn't it," he hummed, shivering a little at the warm breath against his ear, the trail of sensation down his neck. "Yeah, I should be fine."

**“Good.” Bill kissed Dipper’s neck and then moved away and sipped at his tea. He was hoping that after he had drunk some of the human’s blood again he would feel completely okay once again.**

Dipper moved back to drink his tea as well, humming softly. This was a good break from the work, a peaceful moment. Soon, he was finished and turning back to his book

**When Bill finished he also returned to the book he had been reading earlier. He felt a lot better after their break, his mind was clear and he felt refreshed. Going through the books was still frustrating though, Bill had yet to find something just a tenth as useful as the axolotl book and he wasn't even sure how good that one would really be in the end.**

“Hey... Bill... this one has your name in it,” he said, pushing the book over. It wasn’t in English, all Dipper could pick out in the few moments he’d flipped through was the demon’s name.

**"Huh..." Bill grabbed a book and started flipping the pages, his eyes widening more and more as he went through them. "This is extremely accurate..." He checked the cover for the author but there was no name. "Maybe it might have something."**

Dipper smiled a little, checking the time. “Jeez, it’s getting late already...” glancing at their small pile of books to take, he sighed. “I’ll start putting the ones we don’t want away. Do you want to check the basement yet?”

**"Yes, good idea." Bill stood up and beamed at the other. He was getting away with not helping put everything back in place. He wondered if Dipper realized that. "I'll be back in a few minutes," the demon said and headed out of the library, leaving Dipper alone with the books.**

Dipper rolled his eyes, putting the books away fairly quickly.

**Bill didn't immediately find the way to the basement. He knew this place, but McGucket had changed it a bit over the years and that confused the demon. Eventually, he did recognize where the stairs were and he made his way down, turning on the lights once he reached the bottom.**

Dipper finished up as soon as he could, moving the books they were taking and leaving a note by the phone. He also washed the teacups before making his way to the basement to find Bill.

**Everything was there, Bill couldn't believe the old man hadn't burned those things. The altar was covered in dust though, and it showed clearly that nobody had paid attention to it for ages. It was a little depressing.**

Dipper looked around, silent as he came up behind Bill. “So... can we use this for anything,” he asked to announce his presence.

**Bill looked over his shoulder at Dipper and then back at the altar. He took a step forward and grabbed a small statue for himself. He dusted it off. "I don't know." He put the statue down once again and sighed, closing his eye.**

Dipper came closer slowly, resting his hand on Bill’s lower back gently. Alright... “Well, it makes sense that if all of this is still here, the rituals and such would still be here. We can find them.”

**"Yes, you're right." He wasn't sure how many more rituals the Northwest family had known besides the one used to summon him, but maybe they would find something useful. Bill started looking, trying to keep his mind occupied to avoid the dark thoughts.**

Dipper started to look, glancing at Bill every few minutes. “Tell me what you’re thinking?” He requested, kneeling near the altar.

**"I'm thinking that you ask too many annoying questions, Pine Tree," Bill replied, his tone hiding any kind of emotion. He didn' want to talk about it, just like he hadn't wanted to talk about the dream.**

“You know, you can just say ‘I don’t want to talk about what’s making me upset,’ instead,” Dipper said casually, dusting off some of the books nearby to look through them.

**Bill gave Dipper an annoyed look, but he didn't say anything, just continued looking through the place. Eventually, he found a few scrolls hidden behind one of the banners on the altar and he gave them to Dipper. "This is everything they had, let's go."**

Dipper took the scrolls, making sure everything was the way it was supposed to be and headed upstairs again. Silent. Grabbing the books they were taking as they passed, he led the way to the car and packed it all away before getting in and heading towards the hotel again.

**Bill kept silent the whole time. He didn't want to talk because he didn't want his feelings to come up again. He knew Dipper probably hated it, but he wasn't going to start pouring out his feelings just because something had upset him. He could deal with that in silence and then simply forget about it.**

He couldn’t help if Bill wouldn’t talk. That’s what it came down to, really- they’d agreed that Dipper was going to help, and the stubborn man next to him just wouldn’t let him. But... fine. He had a plan. Soon enough, he was parking again, grabbing the books and scrolls to head back inside.

**Bill stayed in the car and covered his good eye with his hair. They had forgotten about the contact lenses and he wasn't sure if it would be safe to go out without them, so he waited for Dipper to get back and be his 'guide' back to the room.**

Dipper soon returned, smiling a little as he took Bill’s hand. “Contacts,” he mumbled. “Next time we go out, promise.” He led the way to their room.

**"I'll make sure you remember," Bill said. He let himself lean a little against Dipper as they walked back to the room, but once there he pushed his hair out of the way, grabbed the scrolls and sat on the bed to read them.**

"You better," he chuckled softly, keeping close until the door was shut. He moved to the books, taking a seat on the foot of the bed to start reading through them.

**Bill went through all the scrolls without finding anything he hadn't already known. That was until he grabbed the last one, the oldest of the bunch apparently. It was written in cipher and surprisingly he couldn't crack it. He had never seen anything like it in the past. "Weird..." Bill looked up from the scroll at Dipper. "This is definitely interesting, check it out," he said as he handed the scroll to Dipper.**

Dipper hummed a little, setting the book aside to look up and take the scroll. "Huh," he murmured, running his fingers along the coded words slowly. "Weird is right," he agreed. "Can you not read it?"

**"As much as I'd love to brag, no, I can't." Could it really be? A cipher older than him? Or maybe just one that someone had gone to a great deal of trouble to keep it away from his eye.**

Dipper laid the paper on the table, smoothing it out again. "Well... someone has to know what it means," he said slowly, frowning a little as he traced the letters. Was it... almost, maybe a little, familiar?

**"Yes, I suppose. It looks old though, who knows if anyone alive might know how to read it..." Bill said and a second later he was grinning. "Not that that would be a problem, I know a few spells that could help us in that case."**

He nodded a little, rolling it back up again carefully and turning to smile at Bill. "Of course you do. I'm not even a little bit surprised."

**"Yes, we'll just have to figure out which Northwest found the scroll or wrote it and wake them up!" If Dipper et him get away with this one...**

Dipper paused, gaping at him for a few minutes. "Uh... that's going to take a while, won't it? You'd have to take a lot of my blood and save up your energy."

**Wow, the human seemed to be actually considering it... Great! "Yes, but don't worry, it's only in case we found no one, we haven't even started looking yet."**

Dipper put that plan aaalll the way down on the list. Plan Z. "Very true. We do need to look first, hopefully, we'll find someone."

**"But if we don't then I'm raising the dead." Part of Bill obviously wanted to raise the bead now.**

“Yeah, we’ll see,” he laughed. “Speaking of energy, though,” he added, closing the book in his lap and setting them aside. “Come here, you.”

**Bill grinned and moved to sit next to Dipper. “Finally.” He had been dying for this but had wanted to wait till the other told him it was time.**

Dipper smiled a little, casually moving to sit sideways in Bill’s lap. Sliding his arms around the demon’s shoulders to stay steady, he tipped his head back.

**Bill smiled and placed his hands on Dipper’s waist to keep him in place, then he kissed his neck a couple of times before sinking his teeth in it and taking what he had been craving for.**

Shivering slightly, he closed his eyes. Breath hitching for just a moment as the teeth sunk into his neck, he soon relaxed again- it barely hurt anymore.

**Bill drank way less than the last time, but it definitely made him feel like a new guy. He pulled away after a moment and licked the blood that had managed to escape his mouth before making the bite go away.**

Dipper sighed a little, shivering slightly as he rested his head on Bill’s shoulder.

**Bill ran his fingers through Dipper’s hair and uncovered his birthmark. “Why do you keep it hidden, my sapling?” He asked softly.**

Dipper had dropped his arms from around Bill’s shoulders at this point, making it easier to curl into his chest and lightly play with the hem of his shirt. “Hmm... because children are cruel and I never really got over it..”

**"Well, I'd love to see it more often," Bill whispered gently and traced the mark with his index finger. "No need to fear bullies anymore, you have me, I can burn anyone that makes fun of you. "**

Dipper tipped his head up slightly, making it a little easier for Bill to trace the mark. “Thanks, sweetheart,” he laughed a little, soft and almost... loving.

**"Maybe this is the reason why I feel so strongly towards you, I love weirdness, I'm the king of weirdness." The demon glanced down from the birthmark to stare at Dipper's eyes. "Even when I wasn't like this I felt drawn to you for some reason, just like I had felt drawn to Ford and this town in the first place."**

Dipper chuckled softly. “Aw... you just like me cause I’m odd,” he teased, laughter faltering into silence as their eyes met. “I’m glad,” he added, before leaning forward to catch his mouth in a heartbreakingly soft kiss.

**Bill kissed Dipper back, his eyes closing. Kissing... He was still getting used to it, but he definitely liked it, at least with Dipper, it was nice. The demon moved one of his hands under Dipper's shirt and began to lightly scratch his back.**

Dipper arched into the touch, sliding a hand up to lightly tangle in Bill’s hair. Kissing was good- great,  even. Perfect. They fit together perfectly.

**Bill smiled into the kiss and then pushed Dipper away until he was laying on the bed and he could pin him to it. "You know, it might suck that Ford doesn't want us in the shack, but at least here we're completely alone." He grinned down at the human.**

Dipper squirmed a little, grinning up at him. “Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about that?” He asked lightly.

**"Why would I tell you when I can show you?" The demon then let go of Dipper's wrists and pushed his shirt up, exposing the human's chest.**

“Better hurry up and show me then,” Dipper hummed a little, for once not that worried about exposing the dozens of scars that crisscrossed his body.

**The last time they had done this Bill had been barely paying attention to the other and now that he saw the scars he felt the need to trace every single one of them. "What if I don't? What if I make you wait?"**

“I don’t think either of us is really patient enough for that,” he commented, going deathly still as questing fingers explored the scars.

**"Are you sure..?" Bill brushed one of Dipper's nipples as his other hand traced the scars. "Waiting is just another kind of torture and I'm used to that, enjoy it even." He glanced up from Dipper's chest to his eyes. "Why should I give you what you want?"**

Dipper bit his lip, shivering a little. “Because it’s what you want too?” He asked.

**Bill smirked and lowered himself a little to be able to whisper in the human's ear. "And what do I want? Tell me."**

Dipper’s breath hitched, stopped for a moment. “Hmm... I can only imagine something about sex,” he teased, nipping at his jaw.

**Bill rolled his eye a little and cupped Dipper's chin to push him away, a little. "I need you to be more specific, kid, what exactly do you think I want? What do you want? If you ask nicely I might give it to you..."**

“What if I told you I didn’t care what you did to me as long as we reached the point where I’m screaming your name?” He smirked a little.

**The hand that was holding Dipper's chin changed like when he had opened the rift back in the forest, but the demon's hold was still gentle, not at all threatening. "You really should be more careful with your choice of words, Mason," Bill murmured and then licked the border of the human's ear before his hand returned to normal. "Nice try though, but I want you to tell me exactly what you want."**

A delicate shiver ran through him at the incredibly arousing show of magic and dominance. "I don't want to be," he teased.  It was quickly followed by a gasping breath and a slight squirm at the attention to his ear. "Wh- I don't care! I want you to wreck me!"

**Bill laughed and gently nipped at Dipper's earlobe. "As you wish, Pine Tree." He said and then he made the lights of the room go out, leaving the place in complete darkness. He moved away from the human and focused on his reactions. He hoped the other would let him know if he went too far.**

He shivered again, biting into his lower lip as he held still. Slowly, he took several deep breaths, staying calm and quiet as he waited to see what Bill would do first.

**Bill stood by the foot of the bed, staring at Dipper in the darkness. He had no problem making out every detail in the room, despite the fact that a normal human wouldn't have been able to see their own hands if they waved them in front of their eyes. The demon had made sure the darkness would be absolute. Sure, it meant using some of his energy, but not a lot of it, not even a small fraction of how much he ended up using when seeing through his All-Seeing eye. "Undress for me, Mason. But don't leave the bed." He said after almost two minutes of silence.**

Dipper was starting to get antsy, nervous in the pitch blackness as he waited for Bill to do... anything, say anything. His breathing was loud and fast in his own ears as the seconds ticked by, much too slow. Letting out a breath when the silence was finally broken, he fumbled with his belt for a moment before getting it off and shedding his jeans and underwear.

**Bill smiled a little, glad to see the human was still willing to go through this, but since he really, really didn't want to hurt the other, as soon as Dipper was done he climbed to bed with him once again and kissed his cheek before whispering: "If it's too much please tell me."**

Dipper reached out to gently touch his shoulder, letting out a shaky breath and nodding a little. He trusted Bill, and that was the only reason he was letting this happen. He trusted the demon. "I will," he murmured.

**Bill was still a little worried about pushing things too far and Dipper not saying a thing. His voice didn't exactly sound like that of a determined man and the last thing he wanted was to feel like maybe he had pushed Dipper into something he really didn't want. So the demon decided to leave it at that this time, just the darkness and them, and give Dipper the thing he was sure he would enjoy.  Bill smiled and kissed the human's neck and jaw as he worked his pants open and got them out of the way, then he pressed his crotch against the human's and wrapped a hand around both their cocks to stroke them together.**

Dipper was smiling just a little, soft and open as he waited to see what Bill had in store. He could take it, he wanted it, even; wanted whatever the demon planned. He could always put a stop to things if they spiraled out of control, right? Gasping softly, breath hitching, he soon dissolved into quiet moans and whimpers.

**The demon grinned against Dipper's skin. He loved to hear him moan, to slowly make him lose control. The demon continued stroking them together for another minute but then he pulled away and got up from the bed once again. He had to get the lube and condoms from Dipper's bag. He knew he wouldn't have forgotten those.**

His moans steadily got a little louder, his squirming a little more noticeable as Bill stroked him, not giving him nearly enough. A whine escaped him when the demon pulled back before he sank his teeth into his bottom lip.

**Bill found the lube and condoms and returned to the bed. "Are you enjoying this?" He asked the human as he poured some lube over his fingers. The demon moved down Dipper's body and made him spread his legs to expose his hole.**

Dipper shivered, spreading his legs easily and twisting his fingers in the sheets. “I am,” he assured. “I really really am.”

**“Great.” Bill then teased Dipper a little, circling his hole with his index finger. The demon did this for a couple of seconds and then grabbed Dipper’s asscheeks, pushed them apart as much as possible and dove in to lick at the human’s rim.**

Dipper moaned, several times, twitching under the too light touch. Shivering a little, he took a breath- that quickly became a high pitched keen. “Bill! Oh god,” he gasped

**The demon grinned and continued to lick Dipper open, adding a finger to the mix after a couple of minutes.  The human’s sounds were driving him crazy and he kinda wanted to speed things up and just fuck him, but he knew it was important that he prepared the other so that he wouldn’t hurt him.**

Dipper arched under him as the finger was added, loving the slight burn that came with the pleasure. “Ah, fuck, Bill,” he whined a little. “I’m not, nnggghhh, I’m not fragile!”

**Bill chuckled a little and replaced his tongue with a second finger. “All humans are fragile, my sapling.” He told the other and started going even slower. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t just doing it because he didn’t want to hurt Pine Tree, maybe it was fun to torture him a little as well.**

He gasped, sucking in a breath and shaking a little harder. “We both know I’m less fragile than most humans, Bill,” he mumbled, curling his fingers into the sheets tightly. ”Fuck,” he hissed softly.

**"Maybe... But maybe I'm enjoying this," the demon confessed and then he bit Dipper's inner thigh a couple of times. He wasn't exactly gentle with those, wanting to acknowledge that he knew his human could stand it, but he didn't bite hard enough to draw blood. After doing that he finally added a third finger to the mix.**

Dipper moaned happily at the bites, tossing his head back. “Of course you are,” he grumbled, pressing down on his fingers slightly. “Please, Bill!”

**"Mmm... Why would I give you what you want when I love hearing you beg?" The demon said, but he finally pulled his fingers out of Dipper and tore open the condom. He put it on and then grabbed the lube once again to coat his cock with it.**

He didn’t have an answer to that, squirming a little. A tiny whine escaped him as the fingers were pulled out, leaving him empty.

**Bill lined himself up with Dipper's entrance and pushed in rather hard, deciding to just go for it if the other really wanted to insist about not being fragile. The demon threw his head back and let out a loud moan. This was better than anything he had ever experienced. Dipper was so tight and oh so hot and just perfect.**

Dipper cried out, tossing his head back. Perfect, it was perfect, pressing inside him and too much, just the right amount of pain mixed in with the pleasure. Reaching up, he wrapped his arms Bill, digging his nails into his shoulders slightly. "Oh, oh god."

**Bill gave Dipper a moment to get used to the intrusion and then he started thrusting into him at a rather brutal pace, unable to help himself. The human seemed to like it anyway, right? So then why should he hold back? "So perfect, Pine Tree." He murmured against the other's skin before biting his shoulder a little to keep his own moans at bay. He wasn't exactly thinking much about his choice of words at the moment.**

Dipper cried out again, dissolving into moans and cries and near sobs as Bill slammed into him, clinging to his shoulders. "Bill, Bill," he whimpered, tossing his head back and forth. "Oh god, so good, Bill...!" He didn't care about how loud he was being, so far past the point of worrying about that.

**God, Dipper's moans, and whimpers were music for Bill's ears, and hearing his name come out of the human's mouth like that? Damn... He had never thought he would hear something that he loved more than the cries of the innocent as they died. The demon was silent though, most of the time, just every once in a while he let out a little moan or gasp. It didn't mean he wasn't enjoying himself greatly, of course, it was just that he preferred not to cover Dipper's pretty sounds.**

Dipper's mind was blank, his sounds desperate and loud, moans and cries and whimpers of Bill's name, the only word that he could really seem to get out besides 'more' and 'please.' And then... One particularly hard thrust at just the right angle forced a scream from his throat as he arched under him, almost clawing at Bill's back, not quite hard enough to leave lasting marks.

**"Oh, fuck!" Dipper's reaction to that last thrust did manage to pull a loud moan out of Bill. That had to be it, the human's sweet spot. The demon made sure to keep that angle, wanting to pull more screams like that one from Dipper. He had the feeling people would complain about them in the morning, but he honestly couldn't care less.**

"Fuck, Bill!" He sobbed out, nearly overwhelmed with pleasure and thrashing a little underneath him. Another scream was let out into the air, followed with more moans and cries and "Oh god, please, Bill, oh, Bill, Bill!" It wasn't long before he was arching under him again. "Shit, I-I'm gonna cum," he groaned a warning.

**Bill was close too, but he wasn't going to come before the human did, he could keep his orgasm back for a little longer, he had enough control to do so. The demon focused on giving the other pleasure, thrusting faster into him, harder. "Come on, Pine Tree, I want- fuck! I wanna see."**

The scream Dipper let out as he came was cut off by him sinking his teeth into Bill's shoulder, riding the waves of pleasure as he tightened around Bill.

**And that was what did it for Bill, the bite. He hadn't expected it and it sent him over the edge almost at the same time as Dipper. It was okay though, he had still lasted longer than the human. Bill let out a silent scream as he came and then collapsed on top of Dipper and the darkness around them disappeared.**

There were tears on his cheeks, his breath was harsh and panting as he carefully loosened his near death grip on the demon. He was still numb, tingly with pleasure and tiredly satisfied.

**The demon took a second to catch his breath and then he kissed Dipper softly. "Mmm... I really liked that," he murmured. Bill slipped out of Dipper, took off and tied the condom and then threw it in the general direction of the trashcan in the room.**

Dipper kissed him back sweetly, waiting until Bill had laid back down again before turning to curl into his side and wrap his arm around him. "So did I," he murmured.

**"I like this side of you quite a lot," Bill said with a grin and then he started tracing the bit he had left over Dipper's body. "Do you want me to heal these?"**

"Hmm... Guess I'll have to let you see it more often," Dipper hummed, nuzzling into his chest slightly. A tiny shiver ran through him. "Hmm... No.. As long as they aren't bleeding I don't care."

**"Alright." Bill wrapped his arms around Dipper and held him close, still a little afraid that the other would change his mind about this, would try to get away. "May I ask you something, Mason?" He murmured after a long moment of silence.**

Dipper happily pressed closer, holding on tightly- he felt safe here, safe and cared for and really he couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be. "Hm? Yeah, of course, you can," he whispered, half asleep.

**"When you thought I was Will you preferred to take control of the situation yourself and I understood that, considering what you had been through..." It made sense that the human wouldn't want to let someone else take the lead, wouldn't trust being at another person's mercy. "But now... You clearly enjoyed beeing my little toy." Bill grinned and caressed Dipper's cheek with the back of his fingers. "I don't get it... and with me of all people..."**

Dipper hummed a little, closing his eyes as he gently brushed his fingers along his chest. "It wasn't a... Will vs. Bill thing," he explained softly, trying to think about how to put it into words. "It... I just... didn't trust you enough then. I trust you more now. I've... I'm naturally more... submissive."

**"See, I find that really interesting considering how much of a control freak you're with everything else." The demon laughed a little and booped Dipper's nose. "Not that I'm complaining, I'm pretty sure you can tell what my nature is," the demon said, his tone playful.**

"See, I think I'm like that because I'm such a control freak in everything else. It's... really nice, letting go for once," he murmured, laughing sleepily at the boop to his nose. "No, I could certainly tell," he agreed, laughing again and burying his head in Bill's chest.

**Bill smiled fondly at Dipper and then used a bit of his magic to clean them both up so that they would be more comfortable. "Well, Mason, you're definitely showing me this side of you more often from now on. Also, I loved it when you got a little rough." Dipper wasn't helpless and that showed it, made it more exciting for Bill.**

Dipper grabbed the blanket to drag it over them, happily staying curled into Bill's chest. "Hmmm.. Good, I'll have to do it more often. Told you I wasn't fragile," he mumbled, closing his eyes. Things were quiet for a few minutes before he spoke again. "Why were you upset earlier..?"

**Bill got tense for a brief second but immediately forced himself to relax. They had had a good time, there was no reason to ruin it and they were both tired if he asked then Dipper wouldn't push. "I don't want to talk about it now, kid," he said after a moment of silence.**

Dipper nodded a little. "Alright. We don't have to," he murmured, tipping his head up to steal a kiss before burrowing in again. In a few minutes, he was asleep.

**Bill let out a sigh of relief and then tried to fall asleep as well, hoping he wouldn't be haunted by nightmares yet again...**

Dipper tightened his arms around Bill slightly, huffing a soft breath as he pressed that little bit closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let Night and I know if you're enjoying the story!


	15. Some Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a small breakthrough in Bill getting his powers back.
> 
> Warning: There's a brief mention and description of a suicide attempt in a dream sequence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to add another chapter! College life, you know? And also, I spent two weeks without internet and posting from my phone it's just way too annoying. Next chapter might be up this weekend or the next, I don't want to make any promises though. - Alga

**Of course, Bill didn't get lucky. The nightmares returned, though these ones were different. They started like a memory, he was in Stan's mind, having been tricked by the Pines. He felt himself dying again and a second later he was back, sitting on the tree with Dipper like the night the other had found out the truth. The difference was that this time Dipper didn't put down the knife.**

Dipper's sleep was soft and peaceful- he was exhausted, mentally and physically, so his brain just didn't have the energy to conjure up nightmarish memories or monsters. In fact, his sleep was only disturbed when the effects of Bill's nightmare became more physical, rousing the young man with a sleepy-sounding, "Bill?"

**_"No, please, Pine Tree, put that down, we can make a deal!" Bill tried to smile, but it was obvious he feared for his life at the moment. "I won't hurt anyone, I won't hurt you either, please..."_ **

**Bill whimpered Dipper's name in his sleep and shifted a little in bed. He was tense, almost shaking.**

Dipper sat up, resting a hand on Bill's shoulder and shaking him gently. "Bill, hey, shhh... Come on, it's okay. It's just a dream, wake up."

**_Dipper shook his head and pressed the knife to his own neck. It just took a bit of pressure and Bill couldn't stop him in time._ **

**Bill woke up startled, getting away from Dipper's touch. When he realized it had been just another stupid nightmare he calmed down a little and glanced at the human. "I woke you up."**

Dipper held up his hands, offering a soft, careful smile. "It's okay," he assured. "It's all okay. Just a dream, right?"

**Bill sighed and nodded. "Yes, just a dream." The demon rubbed his eye and laid down once again, arm covering his eyes. "You have experience with nightmares, Pine Tree, how do you stop them?"**

Dipper sighed a little, moving closer again. "Talking about them usually helps me," he tossed out, arching an eyebrow as he looked down at Bill.

**"Of course." Bill groaned a little, annoyed by the idea. It was bad enough that the nightmares made him look weak, but talking about them? He didn't want Dipper to know what he was afraid of...**

Dipper smiled, chuckling softly and reaching out to gently take his hand. "If you don't want to, I won't make you, but I've just found that it makes everything a little bit better. And it helps me go back to sleep."

**Bill kept silent for a few more minutes and then he sighed. "Alright, I'll try it this time, I hope you're right," the demon said and then turned a little to face Dipper. "It was like a memory at first... I was in Stan's mind, I died..." Bill took a deep breath. "Then," he continued, "I was back with you, in the tree."**

Dipper nodded encouragingly. “And?” He asked gently, squeezing his hand.

**“And you wouldn’t take a deal... You’d rather be dead than make another deal with me,” Bill said and looked away. He hoped Dipper would get it, that he wouldn’t make him say exactly what happened.**

“Bill...” Dipper smiled sadly, gently sliding closer, to wrap his arm around the demon. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “I’m sorry you went through that.”

**The demon sighed and buried his face in Dipper’s chest. “It’s okay if you think I deserve it.” He knew everyone else that had met Bill would probably think that way. He felt a bit better after telling Dipper though.**

Gentle fingers found their way into Bill’s hair, coming through slowly. “I don’t think that,” he said softly. “I don’t think you deserve nightmares,  Bill, they’re awful and you shouldn’t have to go through that.”

**Bill knew that ten years ago Dipper wouldn’t have said that -or so he believed. That was the main problem probably, even though Bill tried to hide it, he still had doubts about them, still thought the human would change his mind because that just made sense. It wasn’t the time to discuss that though... Maybe it would never be. “Thanks,” Bill murmured. “Tell me yours, kid,” he added after a long pause.**

He didn’t answer for a moment, simply playing with the soft blond strands and thinking for a moment. “We were in the woods,” he started, soft and gentle. “Just... talking. Laughing. Feeding squirrels. It was.... sweet. Soft and domestic.”

**Bill sighed and shook his head. “I didn’t mean your dream,” he clarified. “I meant, tell me your nightmares or at least one of them, those I don’t know about, that I didn’t shape myself.”**

The silence was much longer now. “They’re dumb,” he started, finally. “But uh... Well. A pretty common one is... I’m being chased. By something with plenty of teeth and way faster then I am and it whispers the entire time, about how giving up would be easier and it’s not like anyone would miss me, stuff like that. And I trip, it pounces. I wake up right about the time it starts ripping into my chest or throat.”

**Bill gulped a little and waited a bit to answer. “Do you recognize the voice?” He wanted to know if it was him, he could handle it if it was like that... “How often do you have those nightmares?”**

“It changes. Sometimes it was you, or Mabel, Ford, or Stan. Sometimes there was more than one and it was a mix of voices,” he said quietly, closing his eyes. “They were a lot more frequent a few years ago, not so often anymore.”

**Bill opened his eye and glanced at Dipper. “I’m glad to hear that.” And at least it hadn’t been just him... It still sucked, but he felt a little better knowing he hadn’t been the only cause of Dipper’s nightmares -though he supposed he had created the trauma in the first place.**

Dipper nodded a little. “Yeah... me too,” he hummed, yawning softly before pressing a kiss to Bill’s forehead.

**Bill took a deep breath and closed his eye. "Maybe I should try to fall asleep again." He could tell it was still pretty early. "I'm sorry I woke you up."**

“Don’t be sorry, I’m glad you did,” he said softly. “I’d rather wake up and help you than have you hide it from me.” Gently, he brushed the back of his fingers along Bill’s cheek. “Let’s lay down again, hmm?”

**Bill smiled a little and nodded, then laid down once again. "I promise you I'll try to voice my feelings a little bit more." He told the other, even though he knew it was going to be really hard for him. But he was really going to try.**

He slid down the bed to settle next to him again, wrapping an arm around him tightly. “Thank you,” he said softly. “Is it easier for you when I ask, or when you bring it up yourself?”

**"I'd definitely feel better if you didn't push me into talking," Bill said and smiled a little, then he kissed Dipper's cheek. "I'll let you know when I need to talk if I want to."**

“Well, there’s a difference between asking if you want to talk about something and demanding that you do. I’ve just... I’ve noticed that you don’t bring up anything that’s ever bothering you unless I ask, so..” He shrugged a little.

**Bill sighed and thought for a long moment before finally replying. "Alright, you can ask, just don't do it all the damn time," he asked the other.**

Dipper laughed, shaking his head. “Of course not,” he assured.

**"Thanks," Bill said.  The demon pulled the covers up once again, making sure him and Dipper were properly covered by them, and then he snuggled closer to the human. "Goodnight, kid."**

Dipper settled down again, holding Bill close. “Good night, Bill,” he hummed softly.

**Bill fell asleep after just a couple of minutes and lucky for him, there were no more nightmares. When he woke up he didn't remember what he had dreamed, which he also didn't like, but at least it was better than the alternative.**

Dipper was still out, having turned away from Bill in the night and curling up slightly, a hand curled into the edge of the blanket. He was finally catching up on missed sleep- there were only handful of decent nights in the past few months.

**Bill smiled fondly at the other and then got out of bed slowly, not wanting to wake him up. The human deserved to sleep. Bill didn't want to repeat yesterday's experience though and he didn't have the contact lenses yet, so he decided to wait for the other to wake up, no matter how hungry he was. The demon put on some clothes and then grabbed the book they had found in Fiddleford's library, the one about the Axolotl. He started reading.**

He didn’t sleep for too much longer before stirring slowly, mumbling under his breath as he shifted. Sitting up, he yawned, rubbing his eyes slowly. Glancing up, he noticed that Bill was reading- not wanting to disturb him, he silently slid out of the bed and gathered things for a shower.

**Bill noticed Dipper had woken up, but he felt like he had found something and didn't want to look up from the book yet. Apparently, the Axolotl could only give others things, grant wishes, in a way, but he couldn't take away things from them. That had to mean that Bill still had his power... he just had no access to it. It made the demon think of the statue since it was still his body after all.**

Dipper went and showered, returning a short while later, dressed again. Contacts, today, as many as they could get. “Any luck?” He asked softly.

**"I think so... Look at this," Bill said and handed Dipper the book, forgetting for a moment that the other probably wouldn't be able to read it.**

Dipper arched an eyebrow, looking over it. "... It's going to take me a couple hours to get anywhere with this," he reminded the demon. "So... how about you just read it to me?"

**"Oh-" Bill nodded- "yes, right, sorry, I forgot." The demon laughed and grabbed the book once again. "Most civilizations that had come in contact with the Great Axolotl-" Bill rolled his eyes as he read those words- "say the same thing. The creature can't take something away from you because it would be considered wrong or evil, even if he did it for the right reasons. If he wants to punish someone, it resorts to other creative ways of doing so."**

Dipper nodded along slowly. "So... You're saying that you can't have lost your powers because he doesn't take things. We just need to find a way to get to them."

**"Exactly, I think they have to be in the statue, since... I mean, it is still my body, it didn't disappear." Sure, it was stone now and pretty much useless, but it could still contain them.**

"So we should go out there," Dipper concluded. "Soon. Maybe bring the scrolls and books out, see if we can figure something out. After we get your contacts."

**Bill nodded. "That's a good idea." The scrolls surely had to have something that they could use, it was just frustrating that he couldn't read them... He was quite impressed though, someone had managed to hide information from him, that was no easy task. "Breakfast first though," the demon added. He closed the book and stood up.**

Dipper laughed, nodding a little. “Breakfast first,” he agreed,

**Bill offered his hand to the other and together they went to get breakfast. The demon was trying not to think too much about how hard it would be to get to his statue now, wanting to have a few more moments of peace. They had found something, they were closer, he should be celebrating.**

Dipper smiled a little as he led Bill down again. It was a nice morning, a good way to spend some time together before figuring out how they were going to get into the woods without Ford seeing them.

**“So we get the contacts and then what?” Bill asked once he had finished his coffee, not able to spend too long not thinking about a plan. If his power was inside the statue they would be so close...**

"Contacts, and then we can go and see about the statue," Dipper hummed, biting into his toast with a happy hum.

**“Just like that? Don’t you think we need a plan? In case we come across Sixer?” Bill asked, looking a little skeptic. “I can’t really defend myself against him, remember? Not that you’d want me to...” he mumbled that last part and looked away. “I’d really like to avoid seeing his face.”**

“There’s really not a lot we can plan for when it comes to him,” Dipper said thoughtfully. “If we meet him, I’ll defend you. At least long enough for you to get out of there. The only other thing I can really do is call Mabel and see if he’s still in the house.

**“I guess you’re right about that...” Bill didn’t like it, it was barely a plan, but it wasn’t like he had a better idea about what to do, so... “Do you really think we can make it?”**

Dipper nodded slowly, gently taking Bill's hand and squeezing. "I wouldn't suggest going out there if I didn't think we'd make it out okay," he said, with a reassuring smile.

**“I’ll try to keep that in mind.” It still worried Bill, but he wanted to go anyway, he needed to find out if his power was really in that statue.**

Dipper kissed his cheek gently. "Ready to go, then?"

**Bill nodded and stood up. “I’m always ready, kid,” he said and grinned, trying to sound confident once again.**

Dipper nodded, smiling again as he took Bill's hand and led the way to the car. Contacts first.

**“So,”** **Bill started once they were both in the car, “do you think people will ask why you’re buying colored contacts? Will they be annoying?”**

"They shouldn't be, I've bought a lot of weird things over the years. They'll probably think it's for the Shack. A costume or something- that's what most people buy them for."

**“Alright, but will they be comfortable? The contacts I mean.” He was planning to use them most part of the time, except when he was alone with Dipper, so he wanted to know.**

"I don't have any problems wearing them for days at a time," he hummed, heading to the car. "But it's different for every person. And you have to take them out before going to bed."

**"You wear contact lenses?" Bill asked, surprised that he hadn't noticed something like that. Considering both Ford and Stan needed glasses, he should have expected Dipper to someday need them too, but still, the thought hadn't crossed his mind.**

"Yeah. Not as often as I should, and I still keep my glasses around, but my eyesight isn't bad enough yet for me to bother with them too much." He shrugged a little.

**"You know, I could try to fix that if you wanted... Not now, of course, but..." It really shouldn't be too hard for him, he was an expert at breaking things, humans included, it would be like doing that but the other way around, just like he did with his bites.**

"Hm... maybe. I don't know, I don't mind glasses or anything." He smiled a little, stopping the car outside a store. "Are you coming in with me?'

**Bill shook his head. "I'd rather just stay here unless I need to go?"**

"No, you don't need to. I'll just get a few different sets and colors and stuff, you and experiment until you find one you like." Dipper climbed out of the car.

**"Great." The demon didn't feel like interacting with other humans at the moment, if he had to be honest, he just wanted to get the lenses and then head for the statue.**

He smiled again, gently, and shut the door, heading into the store. It wasn't too much longer before he came back with a plastic bag over his arm, sliding in again. "Here you go, one of every kind they had. Do you want to test them before or after we look at the statue?"

**"Before." Just in case they were really unlucky and ended up running into Ford. He preferred it if the old man didn't know he still had his All-Seeing eye. "Help me?"**

"Yeah. It helps, if you're doing it yourself, to have a mirror. But I can just put it in for you this time," he hummed, digging through the sets. "Hm... what color should we start with..."

**"Well, my other eye was some sort of brownish yellow, so maybe something like that?" It would make the most sense. Of course, he had no idea if the other had gotten lenses in that color.**

"Your's is already a little yellowish, so we'll put something light brown over it and see what happens.." He opened one of the sets, biting his lip a little as he carefully removed a contact and let it balance on his finger. "Alright... Here we go," he murmured, leaning forward, gentle fingers pressing around his eye to keep it open as he slid the contact into place.

**Bill stayed still as the other put it on and then he was done he blinked a couple of times, getting used to the strange feeling. Since it was a colored lens it impaired his vision a little, but it wasn't terrible, he could still see, which was way better than playing blind. As much as that story would have -maybe- given him a bigger advantage over Ford, it wasn't worth it. "So? How does it look?"**

Dipper cupped his chin for a moment, looking at him for a few more moments. "Yeah.. that'll work, it looks really good. It looks pretty similar to the same color as the other one," he murmured thoughtfully, smiling a little as he sat back. "How comfortable is it?"

**"I'll deal with it," Bill replied and smiled at Dipper. "At least now I don't have to worry about being seen in public and  I can keep the eyepatch you like so much." The demon grinned and placed a hand on Dipper's thigh. He squeezed a little. "Ready to sneak into the Gravity Fall's forest?"**

He settled a hand over Bill's, grinning back. "Hell yeah I am," he agreed, sitting back to take off again.

* * *

Dipper wound up parking just off the main road, partway into the trees. "Alright. It's not too far from here..."

**Bill got out of the car and took a deep breath. I'll keep an eye out for Ford, it's harder to focus on two places at once so please make sure I don't stumble or run into a tree, okay, kid?" Bill asked and offered his hand to Dipper.**

Dipper nodded, taking his hand and drawing him into his side. "Yeah, of course. I won't let anything happen to you," he assured, pressing a kiss to his temple before leading the way forward.

**Bill searched the forest first and since he didn't see anyone around he decided to check the Mystery Shack. There he saw Stan, struggling to keep all the clients happy with a bit of help from Mabel, but Ford wasn't around. "He's probably in the lab..." Bill mumbled before trying to look inside. "Fuck!" The demon fell on his knees, both hands going to his eye. "That asshole," he cursed under his breath.**

Dipper was watching the forest around them carefully, making sure the path was steady and they were safe. As such, he didn't catch what had happened until Bill's hand was wrenched from his. Instantly, he was on his knees next to the demon, resting a hand on his back. "What happened, are you okay?" He asked gently.

**"I'm fine," the demon said and he sounded more than a little angry. Under the lens, his eye was red. "He thinks he's so smart... Well, it took him way too long to figure out I could see into his perfect little lab." Bill rubbed his eye and took a deep breath to try and calm down.**

Dipper gently pushed Bill back so he was sitting, cupping his cheek to look over his eye- you could still see the red through the brown of the lens, making it look bloodshot and awful. "Oh, hell, that looks bad. Are you sure you're okay?"

**"I'm fine, I'm fine." Bill closed his eye, took another deep breath and when he opened it again it was back to normal. "Just felt like killing a bunch of birds for a second there." He smiled a little, hoping to reassure the human. "I can't look into Ford's lab anymore. He must have blocked the hidden eyes with a spell."**

Dipper paused before nodding slowly, smiling back. "Yeah, we should have thought of that..." he said quietly, standing slowly and offering a hand to pull Bill up with him. "Oh well... It'll be okay, even if we can't see into the lab."

**"I guess... I mean, he must be in there, he's not in the forest or anywhere else in the shack." Bill took Dipper's hand and then dusted off his pants. "I just hope he doesn't find the other eyes... I'd really like not to be blind in that sense too."**

Dipper nodded. "It's the only thing that makes sense," he agreed, sighing a little. "There's no way he could find them all, even if he went looking. I spent months searching for them and I know I didn't get all of them"

**"You did a pretty good job though and I need to thank you since at least whatever you used didn't hurt." Bill wrapped an arm around Dipper's waist and leaned against his side. "Once I'm back for real I'll etch them again though, don't try to stop me."**

"You don't need to thank me for that," he said gently, sliding an arm around Bill's shoulders. Laughing softly, he carefully started forward again. "Don't worry, I wasn't ever planning on stopping you with that."

**"Great, I might put one in the bathroom to spy on you while you're showering then!" Bill laughed and then kissed Dipper's cheek. His anger was almost completely gone, Dipper's presence making it easier for the demon to control himself. The kid truly made him... happy, it seemed.**

"No, no, I would have to cover that one!" He laughed, shaking his head a little. Good- things were back to normal, the darkness in the air had disappeared as Bill relaxed again. Soon, he was pushing a tree branch out of the way and moved into the small clearing near the statue.

**Bill laughed some more, but once they reached the clearing he fell quiet again and his whole body tensed up a little. He couldn't help the memories that they statue brought up and now he also knew about the letters and the flowers... all of that made him feel worse. There was also the fact that hey, that was his corpse over there.**

Dipper tightened his arm around Bill once he tensed, pressing him a little closer to his side. Yeah... there were a lot of emotions here, the notes and the flowers... A lot. "It'll okay," he said gently, taking a deep breath.

**Bill glanced at the human and smiled a little, then nodded before moving away from the other and going to kneel in front of the statue. "I should be able to tell..." he said to himself, then placed a hand over the statue's eye.**

Dipper let him go, crouching behind him after a few minutes.

**Bill closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. It was weird. Something told him it was right there... but he couldn't feel it. "I can't." He shook his head and moved his hand away. "Maybe I'm already too human."**

"You're less human than when you started, though," Dipper pointed out, arching an eyebrow. "If you're too human now... Then he planned to never let you get them back." He paused again. "And I don't know enough about him to make any theories based on that."

**"Don't say that, Pine Tree. I can't- I need them." Bill couldn't imagine living like this forever, it was the worst punishment. "I don't want to have to rely on your blood forever." As much as he liked it, it was too risky, he was hungry for power, which meant that every time he just craved more and more...**

Dipper reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder. "Hey... No, it's okay, Bill," he said gently. It's... I'm sure it's not that, okay? We'll figure something, come on, I always do, right?"

**Bill took one long deep breath and nodded. "Yes, you always do, you're annoying like that." He huffed a bitter laugh and then he stood up once again. I'm lucky to have you on my side this time," Bill said and turned to face Dipper. "But if you ever tell anyone I said that..."**

Dipper chuckled a little, shaking his head. "Thanks," he responded, standing as well, keeping his hand on Bill's shoulder. Rolling his eyes, he huffed a little laugh. "Right, of course, can't let anyone know I'm helping you," he teased.

**"Can't let anyone know Bill Cipher needs help, I have a reputation to uphold!" Bill said with a grin as he closed the little distance there was between them. He wrapped his arms around Dipper's neck and pressed their foreheads together. "Imagine how bad it could be for the two of us if the wrong person found out about what we have," he added.**

Dipper laughed, hands falling to his waist to draw him close, keeping him there. Nuzzling against his forehead gently, he sighed softly. "I mean... I think the wrong person already has," he pointed out gently. "I currently can't imagine anyone worse than Ford... except maybe Gideon."

**"As much as Ford worries me, they are only humans and I have enemies in most dimensions." Bill shrugged. "You're dating a celebrity!" The demon kissed Dipper and then pulled away.**

Dipper couldn't help but laugh a little, kissing him back and letting his arms falling to his sides. After, though... he paused. "I hadn't thought of that, actually..."

**"What? That you're dating a celebrity? Isn't it great!" Bill wiggled his eyebrows. "A secret relationship with one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse. I'd be jealous if I wasn't said powerful being."**

"No, not that. The... 'having enemies in other dimensions' things," he said slowly.

**"Oh, that." Bill's smile faltered for a brief second, but then he was pulling Dipper closer again and shaking his head. "No need to worry about that, everyone thinks I'm dead, remember?"**

Dipper paused before smiling softly. "Yeah, you're right."

**Of course, Bill knew they could always find out he wasn't and if they realized he was almost as weak as a human then he would be in trouble... And he didn't want to think how they would use Dipper against him. But now they had no idea, so things were fine. Well, as fine as they would ever be. "I'm always right, kid." Bill kissed him again and then took his hand. "Maybe we should go... there's not much we can do here anyway," he sighed and glanced back at his statue.**

There was... always a chance, though, right? He had thought it would be impossible for Bill to come back and here he was. He had also thought that Bill would never return his feelings and here he was, kissing him and holding his hands and trying to change so they would work. So... So there was a chance someone could learn about it, about how the dream demon was weak and trapped and could come and try- No. Dipper wouldn't let it happen. He'd find a way to keep him safe. "Right, sure you are," he teased, kissing him back and squeezing his hand gently. "Yeah, that's... fair. But don't give up hope, okay? There has to be a way."

**Bill smiled a little and nodded. "Don't worry, I won't rest until I get back what is mine, sapling," he reassured the other and kissed him one last time before turning around. He didn't get to make one step towards the trees before a dart hit his neck. He had gotten too comfortable, hadn't checked again if Ford was close and the old scientist had found them. "No, no, no..." Bill murmured as he felt himself fade into nothingness.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Night and I love to hear what you think of this mess we've been writing, so don't hesitate to comment! - Alga


	16. Trust Issues

Dipper reacted purely on instinct, the second he felt Bill start to go slack he was moving to catch him, keeping him from hitting the ground and scooping him up, one arm under his shoulders and the other under his knees. In a flash he was back in the trees, pouring every ounce of adrenaline and fear and just straight anger in the movement. Ford. It had to be Ford, the fucker, and he knew the woods just as well as Dipper did. That meant running was out of the question- normally, the younger would have been able to outrun his uncle, but he wasn't confident in his speed while also carrying Bill. Instead, he found his nearest hideout, incredibly close to the statue, and scampered up the rope ladder with ease to drop the demon gently on the wooden floor. Crouching behind the short wall that kept him from falling out, he silently drew the dagger hidden in the nest. And waited.

**"Dipper, I know you're up there," Ford called, keeping a safe distance from the tree. Usually, he wouldn't be worried about his nephew trying to hurt him, Dipper would never do such a thing, but Bill Cipher was clearly controlling him, so he wasn't taking any chances. "Just come down, I don't want you to get hurt." He wasn't going to hurt his nephew, his goal was the demon. "I'm trying to help you, let's go back to the shack, we'll put Bill in a cell and then I can check your mind and repair the damage he has done, he won't be able to control you anymore after that and you'll be able to see clearly, please, if there's still a little bit of my nephew in there... Please listen to me."**

Dipper slowly peeked his head up over the wall, meeting Ford's eyes with an.. almost scared, clearly nervous, very him look. It only lasted a few moments, though, before his feelings were shuttered again, hidden behind the calm mask that had kept him alive for so long. "He doesn't have control of my mind, Ford," he groaned, thumping his head against the wall. "Jesus, what am I going to have to do to prove it to you? Clearly, I can't go home with you, you tried to kill him! There is no promise that you won't do it again."

**"He tried to kill us first, Dipper, on multiple occasions!" Ford reminded the other and rubbed his eyes. It was okay, he just needed to get his nephew back to the shack and scan his brain, he would see reason once that was done. "Alright, alright... How about this, I won't kill him unless I find proof that he's been messing with your mind." He hated compromising like this, hated deals, but he would do anything to fix this situation.**

Dipper slowly looked up over the wall again. Alright... sure, they could do that, because the young man knew Bill hadn't been messing with his head. He knew that with every fiber of his being. "Couple conditions," he said slowly. "Because if I've learned anything from you, it's how to make a loophole-free deal. He stays in mine and Mabel's room. You don't go anywhere near the door. The moment you get close we're gone, understand? We won't see us again. Got it?" He arched an eyebrow.

**"No, I can't accept that he stays in the lab, locked until he's proven innocent." Ford wasn't going to let that monster roam around the shack, where he could hurt his family. "I won't do anything to him, but I don't want him near the others, Dipper, you can't ask me that."**

"He can be locked in the room, but I'm not having him in the lab. He stays in neutral territory, not yours, Ford. You don't want to risk him around my family, I don't want to risk you around him." Dipper folded his arms, the dagger dangling in a relaxed grip over the edge of the wall. "We can do this for weeks, Ford, without us ever leaving this hideout. It's well stocked; how long can you hold out before leaving us alone long enough to leave?"

**Ford groaned in frustration and shook his head. He knew he couldn't stay here forever and Dipper wasn't bluffing about his hideout being stocked. He should have used the poisonous dart instead of the tranquilizer if he had done that he would have had some leverage. "Alright, but if he leaves the room the deal is off and I get him in the lab."**

Dipper thought about it for a moment, humming faintly as he weighed the odds back and forth. "Hmm... Deal," he agreed, disappearing behind the wall again. Still not trusting Ford completely, he strapped the dagger's holster to his side, checking Bill over again before picking him up once more and sliding down the ladder easily. Settling the demon in his arms again, the blond head settled against his chest, he started walking, brushing past Ford.

**Ford wasn't happy with the deal, but at least he was getting Dipper back home, getting a chance to set things right and save his nephew. The old man followed the other, keeping his distance since he didn't want to scare Dipper away. "Don't you want some help carrying him?"**

Dipper glanced back, and for a moment, let his guard down with a soft, thankful smile- before quickly shaking his head and facing forward. He couldn't afford to let Ford in until he was sure his uncle was going to leave Bill alone. "He's not that heavy," he answered after a moment, adjusting his hold slightly. "How long does the tranq last?"

**"About two hours, maybe less since he's not human, I don't know." Ford was praying he wouldn't wake up until they had reached the shack. Bill wasn't helpless, he had his powers or at least some of them, Ford knew that and he didn't want the demon to take him by surprise. "He lost the eye, huh?"**

Dipper nodded a little, brushing his thumb along Bill's shoulder slowly. Two hours- that wasn't so bad, really. And Bill could probably use a couple hours of uninterrupted sleep. "Yeah, he did. Almost died- I had to throw away the clothes we were both wearing, the blood was never going to come out," he answered, trying to keep his voice cold- but it wavered slightly, and his shoulders hunched forward, over Bill, protectively.

**_Good, he should have let him die_ ** **... Ford thought, but he didn’t say it out loud. He was supposed to be giving the monster a chance, at least till he confirmed he had been messing with Dipper’s mind. “But he still has the other one, so he had been lying all the time, using that eyepatch... I should have known.”**

Dippe just rolled his eyes, shaking his head a little and saying nothing. It didn't take long for them to reach the Shack, and he shouldered the door open, heading directly for his and Mabel's room. "I'm not coming back down till he wakes up!" He called Ford, pace quickening up the stairs until they were in the bedroom and Dipper could settle the demon on the bed.

**“I like you, Pine Tree, but sometimes you’re really stupid,” Bill mumbled once he was laying down on the bed. He had started waking up when Ford and Dipper were in the middle of making their deal, but he hadn’t said anything, not wanting to ruin their chances. Not that it mattered anymore since Dipper had taken care of that.**

"I could say the same thing about you," Dipper commented. "Mason," he added, with a little smile as he gently ran his fingers through Bill's hair. "So... how long were you awake? Are you aware of your Ford-imposed confinement?"

**Bill rubbed his eye and sighed. “Sorry...” He was still a bit out of it, clearly. “I am and I can’t believe you let the chance of getting me into his lab slip away like that.”**

"It's fine," he hummed, smiling a little. He sighed, rolling his eyes. "Please. You would have been chained up and locked in a cell with maybe enough room to lay down. I'll be the one getting tested all day down there, I'll look around."

**“Well, just like you managed to get me to stay in your room, you could have made him promise he could only lock me in a cell with no chains and a mattress.” He was the one with magic, not Dipper, it would have been easier for him to look around, even from a cell. “Besides,” Bill sighed. “Letting him test you might be a bad idea too, there are traces of me in your brain after all.”**

"Oh, jeez, sorry I was more worried about what might happen if you were trapped down there with him then what we might find," he grumbled, rolling his eyes and moving his hand out of Bill's hair to fold his arms over his chest, hunching his shoulders slightly. "I'm sure there's a difference between traces and you twisting all of my thoughts."

**“Maybe, I don’t know... let’s hope there is.” It all depended on how precise Ford’s machine was. The demon grabbed Dipper’s wrist and pulled him down on the bed. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m just stating the flaws in your plan, you need to accept constructive criticism, kid.” Bill grinned a little and wrapped his arms around the other. “Doesn’t mean I’m not grateful I’m still alive.”**

"I can explain away little traces- you've been keeping my nights nightmare free," he added softly, smiling a little as he was pulled forward and settling pretty easily into Bill's side. "Oh, like you do?" He teased, resting his head on his shoulder.

**“I don’t recall you giving me constructive criticism....” Bill said and glanced away for a moment, then he looked back at Dipper and kissed him. “But anyway...” He demon snuggled closer to the other. “I think I’ll take a nap, the tranquilizer isn’t completely out of my system yet.”**

"Why would I, would you ever have listened?" He asked, smiling a little before kissing him back softly. "Oh, wait, you shouldn't sleep with contacts in," he said quickly, pulling away slightly. "Here, I'll go get a case, think you can get it out on your own?" He was already sitting up.

**“Maybe...” Bill huffed a laugh and caressed Dipper’s cheek. “I think so, we’ll have to see, right?” He didn’t think he could fuck it up too badly.**

**The demon waited for the other to return and then got the lens out. It wasn’t easy, but he supposed he would get used to it eventually.**

Dipper soon returned with a small bottle of contact solution and a case. Squirting some of the liquid into the holder, he held it out for him. “It gets easier,” he laughed.

**Bill placed the contact in the case and blinked a couple of times. “It’s definitely not the best thing, but I prefer them to playing blind,” the demon said and rubbed his eye. “You’ll stay here, right? Is the door locked?” Not that he didn’t think Ford would be able to pick it if he wanted to.**

Dipper set the case on the bedside table, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Good," he hummed, going to lock the door before sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I can stay for a little while," he said gently. "I should get the testing over with as soon as I can, so you can leave the room again."

**“You said you wouldn’t be leaving till I woke up and w don’t want Ford thinking he has to use something stronger to keep me down, do we?” Bill asked and raised an eyebrow. If things went right then it wouldn’t matter too much, but if they didn’t...**

Dipper paused before laughing, checking his watch. "Alright, sure. I can stay for another hour," he agreed, laying back on the bed again and gently pulling Bill a little closer.

**Bill smiled and made the other turn around, then wrapped his arms around him. “I’ll be the big spoon,” he murmured in Dipper’s ear before closing his eyes and falling asleep once again.**

Dipper smiled a little, shifting back to press even closer against Bill's chest. One arm settled over Bill's, and he closed his eyes, relaxing. He could pretend, for a short while, that everything was fine. That Ford wasn't waiting to dig into his head and find any reason to destroy the demon holding him. That his entire life wasn't falling apart.

* * *

**Bill slept for about an hour and was woken up by a knock on the door. The demon sighed and stretched a little once he reluctantly let go of the human. “He’s here, kid,” the demon said as he gently shook Dipper to wake him up.**

Dipper stirred, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "Alright... I'm coming!" He called, standing and stretching his arms over his head. Turning to Bill, he smiled softly, kissing him gently. "I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?" He hummed, moving to the door and opening it. He was perfectly positioned to keep the demon out of Ford's line of sight as he smiled over his shoulder at him.

**“Yeah, yeah, just don’t ruin everything,” Bill said because he couldn’t help it, okay? He could imagine how much Ford was beating himself up over this because if he was right and the dream demon had managed to control Dipper it was his failure, no one else’s. Or at least that’s how Ford would feel it and Bill simply loved making the old man feel miserable.**

Ford tried to get a look at the demon to have an idea of the state he was in, but Dipper didn’t let him. It was fine though, soon he would be getting him into his lab anyway.

**"Have a little faith," he teased over his shoulder, pressing his hip into the doorframe. "Ford. Back up, so I can leave the room," he said lightly, lightly pushing at his shoulder so he could shut the door behind him firmly, sliding his key into the lock to lock it.**

**Ford sighed and did as he was told. He needed to be patient. “I’ll just assume he recovered with no problems from the dart...” he said and started walking down the stairs.**

"He's tired still," he said simply, not giving anything away- no weaknesses or ideas of what could be wrong. "So, how long is this going to take?" He asked, following along and moving to the lab.

**“It shouldn’t take longer than an hour. I’m going to use the thought scanner and a new software I developed that should be able to detect any kind of anomaly and how big or small they are.” Ford explained and opened the door to the lab. He had changed the combination, just in case. He really hated not being able to trust his own nephew.**

"Okay. Then I should tell you now that you're going to find little ones," he warned, hands in his pockets and looking completely relaxed. "Simply because he's been keeping me from having nightmares since I learned who he was."

**“So you have been letting him into your mind even though you know how dangerous that is?” Of course, it could be that the demon had simply let himself in, but then Dipper wouldn’t trust him so much, right? Or at least Ford wanted to believe that. “You understand why I find it hard to trust you, right? It’s because of that sort of thing!”**

Dipper slowly arched an eyebrow. "Because I should trust you so much more, right?" He asked coldly, marching towards the computer so they could get started. "I should definitely trust the adult that said 'you can tell me anything' and 'it's okay to come to me' and 'you can trust me with anything I just want to help,' the same adult that lost any and all faith in me the moment I came to ask for help, who tried to murder someone I care about, someone I've cared about for a lot longer then he's had powers." Sarcasm was dripping off his words. "But no, you are so right, I'm the untrustworthy one. God, maybe we should just leave again, you're never going to believe me anyway."

**“Dipper, I would trust you, if it weren’t for him.” Ford knew he had said all of that and he had meant it, but Bill Cipher... It was just too much for him, you couldn’t ask him to trust the demon that had tried to kill him more than once, that chased him through an entire dimension just to get revenge... that had used him. Ford placed the mind scanner of Dipper’s head and turned it on. “Do you remember the first time I showed this to you?” He asked, pointing at the scanner. “For a moment you thought I was him and all of your trust went away.”**

Dipper shifted slightly to get comfortable, folding his arms over his chest. "Yes, I do. Remember when I was young enough to blindly trust you just because we're related? And I'd just take everyone's word for things? Wow, I was really stupid when I was a kid."

**“You weren’t stupid, you were the most brilliant kid I had ever met and you were right to distrust me then, even if you were wrong about me being Bill.” Ford rubbed his eyes and turned around to face the computer and check the ongoing analysis. Just like Dipper had said minor alterations were popping up, but nothing to worry about, not yet.**

"I should have distrusted everyone more," he commented lightly, watching the screen, the results he knew were coming, the ones that would prove what he'd been saying for weeks. "What I should have done was distrusted you the moment you showed up until you proved worth trusting. You and everyone else, right? Just like you do."

**Ford sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “No, no, Dipper, you taught me to trust people again and it was not trusting anyone what led us to Weirdmageddon, I know that.” Ford turned around once again to face Dipper. “But you also know that what started everything was my blind trust in Bill Cipher. How do you expect me to trust that demon again? Can’t you see that I’m trying to keep you from making the same mistakes that I made?”**

Dipper folded his arms over his chest. "See, right there is the problem," he pointed out. "You're acting like I'm you. Like I blindly trust him. Like he didn't have to earn every inch of trust I gave him. Like I trusted him when he was pretending to be human. I don't blindly trust anyone. You know that. You know how hard it is for me to trust people, to talk to them, to do anything besides smile and act like everything is fine. Why you think Bill would have had an easier time then that is crazy."

**Yes, Ford knew that it was really difficult for Dipper to trust other people, but he didn’t get it, didn’t understand what could the demon had done to erase all the pain he had caused in the past. The scan finished and Ford turned to look at the screen once again. “I don’t get it... it can’t be...” he murmured as he read the results.**

**Bill was getting anxious. He knew it hadn’t been more than an hour, but his inability to look into the lab and check on Dipper was making him go crazy. The demon couldn’t stand waiting, so he unlocked the door and headed to Ford’s room. He knocked on the door to the lab as hard as he could, hoping he would be heard.**

Dipper smiled slowly. "Not getting the results you want, Ford? Kinda hard to believe that I'm doing all of this because I want to, right?" He teased slowly, voice light and happy, and he was still so calm. "Almost like... maybe you made a mistake breaking my trust and not listening to me." He paused at the sound of the knock on the door. "I'd yell, but you soundproofed everything," he hummed. 

**Ford sighed, turning on his heel to march up the stairs and open the door. "You, are supposed to be in Dipper's room."**

**“You were taking too long, let me through,” Bill told the old man a look on his face that clearly said he wouldn’t ask twice. Of course, it would have looked a lot more threatening if he hadn’t been using the contact lens, but he still wasn’t letting Ford in on his secret.**

**“No. I’m not done.” He stood his ground, blocking the door.**

“I’m fine, Bill!” Dipper called up the stairs. “It shouldn’t be too much longer. Just go back, okay? Please?”

**Dipper’s voice made the demon relax a little. He still didn’t like leaving Dipper there alone though, he knew Ford had ways to mess with Dipper’s mind too if he wanted... He didn’t think the old scientist would go that far, but it still worried the demon. “You can cover my eye if you don’t want me looking around but I really don’t trust you down there alone with him, Sixer. I’m asking you nicely, please let me through.”**

Dipper appeared behind Ford’s shoulder, having removed the helmet and paused the test. “Here. I brought a blindfold,” he hummed, and with practiced ease, he slipped past Ford to gently tie it around Bill’s eyes. “It’ll be okay,” he murmured, and Ford- who could clearly see he wasn’t winning this fight- marched back down the stairs. “I’ll help you down the steps, okay?”

**Bill grinned at Ford and then let the other blindfold him before taking his hand, “Thanks, kid.” He told the other as they walked down the stairs. Well, he had made it inside Ford’s lab, it was a shame he couldn’t see a thing, but at least he wouldn’t have to worry about Dipper anymore and... maybe he could try and etch another eye somewhere... Only if he was sure Ford wouldn't notice though. “How’s the test going, Sixer?” Bill asked once they were downstairs, glancing in the general direction that he thought Ford was.**

Dipper hummed a little, setting Bill up against a wall so he wasn’t in the way and Ford wouldn’t have any reason to approach him. Satisfied, he squeezed Bill’s hand once more before moving back to continue the tests. 

Ford didn’t say anything for a few moments. “Not done yet,” he finally answered.

**Bill sighed and rolled his eye. “You’re just wasting your time, Sixer,” he told the other and leaned against the wall. Clearly, he hadn’t found anything yet or else he would be trying to kill him again. That was good.**

"I'm not wasting my time, I'm running the test to completion," he argued, rolling his eyes as he watched the results.

**“Still as stubborn as ever, I see.” Ford would never learn, even though it had been his stubbornness and arrogance what had gotten his family in danger in the first place.**

"Not stubborn. Thorough," Ford grumbled. 

"Hey, Bill, the more you distract him the longer this will take, and I'm hungry. Can you not?"

**Bill sighed and nodded. “Only because you’re the one asking.” He told his... well, he supposed he should start calling Dipper his boyfriend, right?**

Dipper smiled a little. “Thanks, sweetheart,” he hummed happily. Ford huffed, rolling his eyes as he continued the test.

**Bill grinned. He could hear Ford’s indignation in that huff. That was definitely going to be hard for the old man too, accept that his nephew had decided to date him, knowing full well who he was, no manipulation needed.**

Dipper settled back to let the test finish, humming faintly and folding his hands in his lap. It wasn’t very long before the results were back, completely conclusive, no question. Ford glared at the screen for a few minutes. “Get him out of my lab,” he said finally.

**“Aaaww, come on, Fordsie, I thought we’d be friends now!” Bill didn’t mind though, he didn’t need to stay, while the other wasn’t looking he had managed to etch a tiny eye on the wall. Maybe Ford wouldn’t find it right away.**

Dipper just laughed a little, removing the helmet again and standing. “Let’s go, Bill,” he hummed, taking the demon’s hand to lead him back up the stairs. Once the door was shut, he gently removed the blindfold.

**Once they were out of the lab, the demon pulled Dipper closer and kissed him. He had been tempted to do it in front of Ford, but he really didn’t want to taunt the old man so much, he didn’t want to lose his other eye. “We’re in the clear then? For now?” He asked once he pulled away from the kiss, hands still on Dipper’s waist, keeping him close.**

Dipper happily returned the kiss, resting his arms on Bill’s shoulders and lightly playing with his hair. “Yeah, we should be,” he assured, smiling softly. “There isn’t a whole lot he can do without me getting in the way, and since he knows I’m doing this because I want to... He’s kinda out of options unless he wants to push me away any farther.”

**Bill grinned. "I can imagine how much this is hurting his ego... To accept that he was wrong, that his perfect nephew-" Bill caressed Dipper's cheek with the back of his fingers- "really wants the big bad Bill Cipher." It was hilarious, really, it was maybe even better than any other kind of revenge he could have come up with.**

Dipper rolled his eyes. “I don’t think I was ever the perfect nephew,” he argued, just a little, turning into the touch slightly. “And you really aren’t as bad as you like to pretend,” he added, teasing, as he lightly brushed his fingers along the hair at the nape of Bill’s neck.

**"Maybe... you've made me go soft." Bill rolled his eyes and took Dipper's hand. "Come on, I need to do something before he finds it," he said, referring to the eye he had left in the lab. Bill guided Dipper to his room since they would definitely get more privacy there, and once they were inside he locked the door.**

“I think that’s a good thing,” he hummed, smiling brightly as he let Bill lead him back up to the room. Arching an eyebrow, he took a seat on his bed. “So you carved in an eye, right? I put you there so you could.”

**"Yes!" Bill grinned and pushed Dipper to make him lay down on the bed before he climbed to it as well. "Great minds think alike," he added and sat cross-legged in the middle. "He still has a protection spell in the area, but I can get past it, it will just take a bit more energy. But I'm fine, I have enough and you haven't given me my daily fix yet." Bill glanced at the human with a mischievous look on his face.**

Dipper laughed, sliding back on the bed so he could lean against the wall. “Do you want that fix before or  after?” He asked, adjusting his collar slightly.

**"I actually wanted to try something different," Bill said and moved closer to Dipper. "Two eyes are better than one..." Dipper might notice something that he didn't. As much as Bill liked to say he was perfect, he knew sometimes he made mistakes. "If I drink while I see I might be able to create a connection, pull you in with me."**

Dipper paused before smiling slowly. “That... is an excellent idea,” he cooed, shifting again so he could pull Bill into his lap. “Would my neck or my wrist be easier for this?”

**"Neck should be fine," the demon said and then he pushed Dipper's shirt out of the way a little. "It might be a little overwhelming at first, I recommend you close your eyes, you won't be using them and it will mind focus on the lab better."**

Dipper nodded, resting his hands on Bill’s waist as he closed his eyes and tipped his head back. “Alright... Okay. I’m ready.”

**The demon bit down and started sucking on Dipper's blood. He went as slow as possible so that they would be able to stay like this for a considerable amount of time without risking Dipper's life.**

Dipper tensed a little, sucking in a breath and lightly tangling one of his hands in Bill’s shirt.

**_Relax, kid, try to focus._ ** **Bill went through the barrier created by Ford's spell and started looking through the eye in the wall. It wasn't the best position, but he could see one of the many computer monitors as well as part of Ford's library. And of course, there was also Ford, who hadn't left the lab yet.**

Dipper did as instructed, the lab coming into focus. Wow... Ford was leaning over a table, flipping through the pages of a book, looking agitated. Scowling slightly, he shut the book and went to look for another.

**Bill tried to figure out the title of the book Ford had been reading, but it was too far away and the position of it made it almost impossible.** **_Oh, he's getting desperate, I don't think I've ever seen him like this._ ** **Clearly, Ford had no idea how to proceed at the moment. Bill hoped he didn't know about the statue.**

_ He's making mistakes, too, that book doesn't have anything about you in it.  _ Dipper recognized the book, only because it was one of the few where the cover was both colored and bound in real leather. They watched as Ford brought a couple more over to the table, continuing to look.  _ I don't recognize that one... _

**_That's strange, I don't either..._ ** **First a cipher he couldn't crack and now Ford had a book that wasn't familiar for neither him, nor Dipper? That was odd and not at all reassuring.**

**Ford went printed the readings he had gotten from the statue and took a better look at them. Could it be? Could it be that the readings of the statue hadn't changed because Bill Cipher was still sort of trapped in there..? If he could find a way to destroy it...**

_ I'm going to have to get it. _ It had to be important, right, if Ford had kept it from him all this time?  _ Which means I'm going to have to start making him trust me again. _

**Bill closed his All-Seeing eye and pulled away from Dipper's neck. "And what does that mean exactly?" He asked, not giving the human a moment to come back to his current place. He didn't like the sound of that, it could go wrong for him.**

Dipper blinked, shaking his head a little. Wow.. that was dizzying. "Hmm? It means trying to talk to him again, I guess. Spend time with him. Just... basic nephew stuff."

**"And you think you'll trust him just like that?" Bill raised an eyebrow and then glanced down at the bite on Dipper's neck, still bleeding. The demon leaned forward and licked it clean, making the bleeding stop, but not the bite. He thought maybe he would let it heal normally, as a small reminder. "Don't you think that maybe he'll want you to prove your... loyalty or whatever, in some way?"**

"Why does everyone here seem to think something like that," he grumbled, shaking his head a little. "I mean, probably, but I do actually want to have some sort of relationship with him that isn't just glaring at each other and tense silences, so it was going to happen sooner or later. I'll figure it out, don't worry. Maybe I can start by explaining better..."

**"Alright, I guess I can't force you not to do that... Well... I mean, I can, but you wouldn't like that," Bill said and rolled his eyes, then moved away. He wanted Dipper to be happy, sure, but Bill wasn't sure it would be possible for Dipper to have both him and a good relationship with his family -Stanford more than anyone else, really, Staley and Mabel seemed to be sort of okay. The demon had already offered the human a chance to get his old life back with him out of the picture, but he hadn't accepted that and now Bill wasn't willing to let the other go, that ship had sailed. "I need to put one condition."**

"No, I wouldn't," he agreed. "And there's a good chance it won't work, but I want to try anyway. If I didn't try things because they were hard, I never would have beat you in the first place." He smiled a little, shrugging faintly. Sure, it would probably be impossible, but he had a couple ideas that might make things a little more amicable between them... "Oh? What is that?" He asked.

**Bill's expression turned dark. "If he hurts you in any way, if he tries to force your will or erase your memories..." The demon didn't think he needed to finish that sentence, it was pretty clear, being who he was, that if Ford did that then he wouldn't hold back, even if it meant breaking his deal with Dipper.**

Dipper reached out to gently take Bill's hand. "Okay," he said softly. "I understand, Bill. It won't come to that, alright? He won't hurt me." He shouldn't, anyway, Dipper... really hoped not, anyway. Ford wasn't like that, right? They had already proved that Bill didn't do anything to his mind, so... "But it is sweet to know that you care so much," he added, hoping to lighten the mood.

**"I care about you," he reminded Dipper. Bill was still a demon, everything he did, all the effort, it was for Dipper, to keep him happy, because his chaotic nature was still there, it wasn't something easy to change for a being that was older than most dimensions. Bill's shoulders dropped and he let out a sigh, then gently cupped his face. "You're mine, Mason. I don't want to lose you and it's in everyone's best interest that I don't."**

Dipper's smile softened, and he gently covered Bill's hands with his own. "I know," he whispered. "I know you do, Bill. I know that you're possessive and protective and that if anything happened to me you'd probably destroy the town in retaliation unless I was hanging off you to hold you back. And honestly? I really, really like that about you. But it'll be okay, this time. I might not make Ford see sense, but I trust that he wouldn't do something to hurt me."

**Bill chuckled a little and kissed Dipper softly on the lips. "Your potential for evil still surprises me, kid," he murmured when he pulled away. He knew Dipper wouldn't really want him to destroy the town if something bad happened to him -but yeah, if Dipper wasn't there to stop him then Gravity Falls was doomed-, but the fact that he admitted that he liked that about him was still pretty big. "I mean, I know what you did to that version of you that Mabel created when you were young but still."**

Dipper kissed him back happily, laughing just a little and shaking his head- not nearly enough to dislodge Bill's hands, though, still pressed against his face by Dipper's own. It was... almost sweet, really, to know someone cared about him enough to go through the extremes to keep him around. Instead of scaring him off... it made him feel safe. Like, for the first time in a long time, nothing could go wrong. "Just because I do good doesn't mean I'm not capable of causing a little mayhem now and then," he teased lightly, lightly kissing Bill's nose.

**"Well, I like that about you, Mason Pines." Maybe even more than just like, but Bill was still trying to understand exactly how feelings worked. He was a lot better than when things started, but he didn't feel comfortable saying things he wasn't completely sure he understood yet. "Now, can I make you scream my name?" He asked and one hand went down to play with the zipper of Dipper's jeans. "Or should I wait? You mentioned being hungry?"**

Dipper grinned slowly, curling his fingers into Bill's shirt and dragging him forward. "Now, please."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go, another chapter just like I promised! Let us know if you're excited for more in the comments! - Alga


	17. Dipper is Trying (Everyone is Trying)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (A sleep-deprived Alga doesn't remember what happened in this chapter, bear with her, it's probably more drama or maybe not, who knows!)

The next few days were... a mess, really. It was pretty obvious that Bill and Dipper were moving back into the Shack, which meant taking up work again- Stan was ecstatic, it was pretty clear the store was suffering without Dipper and Bill around to keep the customers happy. There was a bit of running around, mixed in. Namely, picking up all their clothes from the hotel and getting more contacts in the same color, now that Bill had settled on that. And any moment with Ford around was tense, awkward, Dipper still hadn't quite gotten an opportunity to try and fix things. Until that weekend, that is, when he was finally able to catch the older before he went out into the woods for a normal bi-weekly check of the satellites and scanners in the mountains and woods. "Can I come with?" He asked quickly, standing in front of the door.

**Bill had been playing the piano for Dipper and Mabel when Ford walked past them and Dipper left his side. The demon was mildly annoyed by it because they were finally getting some free time and his boyfriend seemed eager to leave. He knew why, he knew it was necessary, that Dipper needed to start fixing the relationship with his great uncle, but that didn't stop him from glaring at the old man once he had turned away from him. Mabel, for some reason, found it funny.**

**Ford hesitated for a moment. He had been meaning to check on the statue again and now that he had a pretty solid theory of what was inside it, he wasn't sure he wanted Dipper close... But he missed having his nephew around, he was usually a big help and kept Ford from feeling lonely out there in the woods. The old man wanted to have that again, wanted things to get back to normal, maybe that was what they needed, more time together to make Dipper see reason. "Alright. Just you though." He glanced over his shoulder at Bill and glared at the demon, who simply turned around and started whistling.**

Dipper nodded, a bright smile splitting across his face- it was a start, and that was all he needed. "Alright, just one second," he said eagerly, grabbing his jacket from the counter and pausing just long enough to ruffle Mable's hair and press a kiss to the top of Bill's head. He had some little hope that if he started with just small, tiny shows of affection, Ford might warm up to him a little faster. "Bye, guys!" He called, tugging it on and bounding out the door.

**Bill sighed once Dipper left the shack and rubbed his eye. He hoped things would go well.  The demon glanced up a moment later and noticed that Mabel was looking at him expectantly. "I don't take requests." He told her and glanced down at the keys once again before he continued playing. Well, he didn't take requests from most people, he had one exception.**

“Except Dipper's,” she teased lightly, smiling a little as the music started again. 

**Ford looked away when Dipper kissed Bill. He hated it, he didn't think he would ever get used to it, but for now, he had no choice.**

**"Oh, she thinks she's so smart..." Bill said and rolled his eyes. Just to bother the other, since he knew the kind of music she liked, he started playing something rather gloomy.**

"Oh, she is so smart," Mabel countered, pausing as the music started. Perhaps surprisingly to Bill, she started to hum along. 

**Bill raised an eyebrow but didn't stop playing. He hadn't really interacted much with Mabel since he had gotten back, he hadn't felt curious enough, but maybe she had changed as well in the ten years he had been absent.**

Mabel shifted a little as she listened, smiling a little sadly. She couldn't quite remember the words to this one, but she... the tune stood out crystal clear. 

**Bill finished the piece and glanced back up at Mabel, then closed the piano. "Tell me something, Shooting Star," he started saying, leaning over the piano a little. "Why don't you hate me? Or the fact that I'm having sex with your brother on a daily basis?"**

Mabel looked up, resting her arms on the cover to the keys, looking at Bill for a few minutes. "Because he's happy," she started, smiling slowly. "You made him better, even before we knew who you were. He was sleeping and he wasn't hiding." She paused. "When Ford attacked you, he was... inconsolable. But he told me everything. And while I certainly don't need to know about the sex, the fact that he's... so much healthier with you around..." Mabel shrugged, standing. "If you hurt him, though, you won't have to worry about Ford. I'll end you myself." She smiled brightly. "I'm hungry, want anything?"

**Bill smiled a little. He was happy to hear from someone else that Dipper was clearly doing better. It wasn't that he didn't believe his sapling when he told him he was but... Sometimes Bill thought he just did it to make him feel good. "Yeah, I could use some food." Bill stood up. "You don't have to worry about me hurting him, really," he reassured the other and then followed her to the kitchen.**

Mabel hummed a little as she looked around the kitchen to decide what to make. "Well, I'm going to, but only as much as I would with any boyfriend he's ever had," she smiled brightly. "What kind of sister would I be if I didn't? I'm thinking tomato soup and grilled cheese, does that sound good?"

**Bill shrugged and sat down by the kitchen table. He took off his shoes and put his feet over the table. "Sure, I haven't tried that yet." It sounded simple, the demon didn't think he wouldn't like it.**

"What? Hasn't Dipper given you the most important staple of a child's life yet? Blasphemy!" Mabel bustled around the kitchen as she started to prepare the pretty simple meal. Soon, she was setting the bowl and plate in front of him and taking a seat by his side. 

**"I'm not a child so maybe that's why he didn't," Bill pointed out and shrugged. So far everything Dipper had given him had been pretty good, he didn't think one simple dish would make that much of a difference in his life. He tried it and complimented Mabel because that's what he assumed Dipper would want him to do, but while it was good it really wasn't out of that world.**

“That is no excuse,” she said firmly, shaking her head a little as they started to eat. 

 

**Once out of the shack, Ford didn't say anything, just walked. He wanted to talk, he simply didn't know how to break the awkward silence without making it worse.**

Dipper matched his pace easily, hands in his pocket and waiting until they stepped into the shadows of the trees to even considering breaking the silence between them. Finally, though, he sighed softly. “So, I hate this,” he started, glancing at Ford. “Like, actually hate it.”

**Ford sighed. "Oh, you do? Do you want to know what I hate? That monster sleeping under my roof, Dipper," he said, because he had to, he couldn't keep it down. "I still don't get it."**

Dipper tensed instantly, fighting the anger that swelled in his chest. No, he didn't- He knew Ford would react like that, he did know that he had just hoped that maybe they could make it a couple minutes into the conversation before it came up. "So, I was going to say that I hate that we don't talk anymore, and I hate not going on walks with you and testing ideas and solving mysteries, but what I really want to say now is I hate worrying that you're going to stab out my boyfriend's other eye. I hate being afraid of you."

**"But you know it's not me the one you should be afraid of, Dipper." Ford pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. "I know he hasn't used his mind tricks on you, but he has to have done something..."**

Dipper stopped walking, catching Ford's sleeve to make sure he did as well. "Do you really want to know what he did?" He asked quietly, forcing himself to let go of the anger. "Are you going to keep an open mind and actually listen if I tell you?"

**"Wait, here." Ford stopped and knelt, then opened a hidden hatch on the ground and connected his USB to the scanner he kept in there. "I... Well, I suppose listening will be the best, I need to understand whatever happened better." To solve it, he thought.**

Dipper crouched next to him, watching the scanner. Slowly, he smiled. "He asked you what happened to me," he said softly. "He asked, and do you know what he did with that information? Made sure I was eating. Gave me a place where I didn't have to hide. Made me feel safe. And once I learned who he was... He... stopped my nightmares, Ford. All of them. He played piano for me without me needing to ask, just to tire me out. He went without sleep to make sure I didn't go insane. And he..." His smile grew a little. "He stopped calling me Pine Tree."

**When thinking back to his conversation with Bill in the past, Ford had simply thought Bill had wanted to know what Dipper had gone through to rejoice in what he had done. Looking back at it everything had seemed fake for the old man, but hearing that he had actually used that knowledge to try and fix things was... Unreal to say the least. "Alright, but... why? Why would he act like that? It simply makes no sense."**

Dipper looked up at Ford again, tipping his head to the side a little. "Because he cares," he murmured, eyes sparkling with a light that certainly hadn't been there in... years. "And I know you're going to say that he's a demon who can't care, but... He's more human than demon. And with it brought human emotions and thoughts, so..." After a moment, he added softly, "he offered to leave. He offered to cut the deal we made and just disappear so that I could have my relationship with you back."

**Ford took the USB out and stood up, then kicked the hatch shut once again. "He really did that? And you think he would have done it if you had said yes? It could have been a trick, Dipper, he could have taken advantage of your feelings, know you would have said no anyway so he offered to gain your trust." That sounded a lot more like the Bill Cipher he knew and hated at least.**

Dipper stood as well, fixing the hatch slightly so it was hidden as well. "He did. And I'm inclined to believe him because he kept offering. Kept saying that he would leave, that it was okay if I picked you over him- and I do mean you, Ford, not my family. Just you." Shrugging a little, he started walking again. "You know, he started using the word 'boyfriend' before I did, it's really sweet, actually."

**A shiver ran through Ford's body. He didn't think he would ever hear the word sweet to describe Bill Cipher of all people. "Well, let's say I can try and trust him a little bit more... Or at least try not to jump to conclusions..." Ford started walking once again. "The deal you two have... Is it real? Binding? Does he have the power to do that?"**

Dipper smiled brightly. “Would you believe me if I said all I wanted was for you to try? That’s all I’m asking here,” he assured, sliding his hands back in his pockets as they went through the woods. “I think so? It was the fire and handshake and everything, so, as close as I can tell, it is.”

**He knew Dipper had done it to protect the family, but he still was a little disappointed that he had made a deal again, knowing how the last one could have ended. "What is he exactly getting out of that? I'm guessing it's not just a bed and some food," Ford enquired.**

Dipper hesitated, picking at his sleeves slightly. “You’re going to hate me when I tell you,” he warned softly, sounding genuinely upset by the prospect. “If you don’t hate me already, that is. Which, I mean, I’m not completely sure you don’t. And I’m not saying that to try and guilt you into anything.”

**Ford stopped walking and turned to face his nephew. "I don't hate you, despite everything, I don't, I need you to know that," Ford said and glanced away. "I can't avoid being disappointed in you though. I've been where you are, maybe not in the exact same position, but I've been there and we both know how that went."**

He just shrugged a little at the first part, not quite believing it. “I do have a couple advantages, though,” Dipper pointed out. “Like, knowing what not to do when it started because I got to see all of your mistakes.”

**"And yet you went and made a deal with him." Ford shook his head and turned around to keep walking towards the next area. "Just tell me what he's getting out of your deal, Dipper, how bad is it?"**

“I’m not apologizing for that,” he snapped. “So maybe stop trying to make me feel like shit for it.”

**Ford wanted to demand an answer again, but he didn't want to go back to step one with his nephew, he needed to be patient. "Okay, sorry, I won't mention it again," he said after a few seconds of tense silence.**

Dipper huffed a slow breath, calming himself down for a few moments. It still took a couple minutes for him to speak. “I’m helping him see if he can get his powers back,” he said, finally, shoulders tensed and braced like he was preparing for a blow.

**It took all of Ford's self-control for him not to turn around and start yelling. This was great, amazing, magnificent. "I see," Ford simply said and then he fell silent, not because he wanted but because he knew it was for the best, at least this he would feel like he could say something else without starting another argument.**

Dipper didn’t say anything else for a while, pulling on his sleeves and gnawing on his lower lip, letting go to bite at his inner cheek instead- easier to draw blood that way. Finally, though, he couldn’t take it- the silence and the angry set of Ford’s shoulders and the ugly feelings in his stomach and chest- ones he usually dealt with by digging a knife in his arm- and... “If you’re going to yell, just do it,” he said, voice shaky and on the edge of tears. “Don’t just... do this. This isn’t the relationship we have.”

**Ford stopped walking once he reached one of the trees where he kept the other scanners and he opened the secret door in it, put the USB in and only then turned around. "I'm not going to yell, I'm just going to ask you this: you say he's more human than demon now, that's the reason why he's changed, right? And the main difference is he doesn't have his powers. Do you really think he won't change again once he gets them back?" Ford wasn't even talking about Bill changing because he had been acting all along, no, he was actually considering the idea that the demon had changed for real because he was more human. Clearly getting his powers back would have consequences.**

Dipper had his arms wrapped around himself tightly, head bowed as he waited- and flinched slightly at the words. “I think,” he whispered, voice breaking softly, “that there’s a difference between him being able to use his powers and him not being a human with human emotions. He can use a couple of them now and nothing changed.” Slowly, he rubbed at his eyes. “This... this was a mistake, I shouldn’t have done this, sorry I wasted your time, I’ll just, I’ll go, sorry...” He turned to walk away.

**Ford gulped when he noticed Dipper's eyes were glassy. He hadn't meant to push his nephew into such a state, he just... he hadn't wanted to make things worse by yelling and in the end, he had anyway. "Wait, Dipper." Ford reached for him and tried to make him turn around. "I just... I don't want you to get hurt." It really was that. If everything was true, if Bill had really changed, Ford would hate to see things go to hell again, mostly because Dipper wouldn't be able to recover from that. "Just... If you really think he's different... Maybe ask him to break the deal?"**

Dipper wished he had yelled- he could have yelled back, then, things might have been a little different. A screaming match would have let him get rid of some of this anxious energy and awfulness in him that left him digging his fingers into his arms to try and center himself again. Pausing at his name, he turned pretty willingly, not meeting Ford’s eyes- his head was still bowed and his hair was a curtain around his face. “I can’t... Because... because if something goes wrong, if someone attacks me or him or... I trust him with my life, but he told me to my face that if something happened to me the town wouldn’t survive. So I just... I need that little bit of control.”

**"Alright..." Ford nodded and pulled his nephew into a hug. All his anger was gone now, replaced by worry for Dipper's well-being. "Just try to put it off, until I figure out something, maybe? Give me a chance with this, if that power consumes him the town will suffer anyway."**

Dipper pressed into the hug, wrapping his arms around Ford and clinging to the back of his coat. “We’ve been researching,” he started, and once he did he couldn’t stop. That had always been the best part of his and Ford’s relationship, being able to just talk. “We borrowed some books from McGucket’s library and found these scrolls that we can’t decipher around this old altar in the basement of Northwest Manor, and there’s something about the statue- I know you know that already, because of course, you do, it’s the only thing that makes sense with the readings of it- and I want to look in your library too.”

**Ford didn’t like the idea, he was trying to find a way to get rid of the statue, he didn’t want Dipper and Bill to find out about that... But maybe he would be able to keep it a secret, he just needed to be careful. “You can look, alone, I don’t want him in my lab, alright?” Ford gently pushed Dipper away so that he could look at him in the eyes, But promise me you’ll talk to him about this deal... it’s dangerous, Dipper.” He was willing to try and look past the fact that Bill was... well, Bill, but he couldn’t allow him to get his powers back, it was too risky.**

Dipper blinked up at him, eyes glassy and cheeks wet, and nodded slowly. "Yeah... Yeah, okay. I can look alone," he whispered weakly, wiping away the tears. He could talk about the deal.. but, oh... "I don't know," he whispered. "You don't hear him when he talks about it, how... how scared he sounds," he tried to explain. "I don't know if we can get him back and that... terrifies him."

**See, it was that sort of behavior that made Ford still wary of Bill. Why was he scared of not getting his powers back? Right now the only one that had wanted to harm him was him and he had promised he wouldn't do anything unless he was justified. Bill wasn't in danger, so why? "I see, still, you should try and talk to him." Ford patted Dipper's shoulder a couple of times. "Do you want to head back? I still have a few more, but I don't mind checking them alone."**

Dipper thought it was kinda like losing a part of yourself. Like... if he woke up tomorrow and couldn’t go into the woods anymore, couldn’t explore... first, he’d be upset, and then he’d be terrified it would never get better, that he’d never be able to go back. Besides... the demon had plenty of enemies. “I’ll try,” he finally agreed, smiling shakily. “No, I... I want to stay. I want to calm down a bit, at least. And... I like walking with you.”

**Ford smiled a little and nodded. "Let's go then," he said before turning around and continue walking. He felt it would be the best for Dipper to stay with him for a little longer too, he didn't want to leave him alone when he had almost had a complete breakdown a few moments ago.**

Dipper fell in step with him, letting the sounds of forest soothe his frazzled nerves, the breeze dry his tears completely. Peace. This was peace. He relaxed slowly, letting out a soft breath as his shoulders lost their tension and his steps smoothed out.

**They reached the third spot, Ford focused on the task at hand, giving Dipper the time to relax. Once he was done and he noticed the other seemed to be doing better, he smiled at him and finally said something. "The last one is the one at the statue, then we can be done for the day." He still needed to check the ones around Crash Site Omega, but that could wait another day.**

Dipper returned the smile, nodding slowly. "Alright. No other ones you need to check today?" He hummed, making sure everything was hidden again before starting to head towards the statue.

**"No, they can wait another day. Unless you don't mind going to the crash site." Ford assumed Dipper would want to head back to the shack, be with Bill, but maybe he could be wrong.**

He shook his head. "No, I don't mind. We can go there." They'd be home later than Dipper had expected, but there was nothing wrong with that.

**"Alright, first the statue though," Ford pointed out and started walking in that direction. "Last time I was there I noticed it was cleaner, I was wondering if that had been you or him."**

"Little of both," Dipper answered. "He, umm... found all my notes and stuff, cleaned everything up."

**"Did he burn something? I found ashes..." Ford had always found it odd that Dipper wrote to Bill, but it had helped him cope with everything so he hadn't questioned it. He wondered if the reason why Bill had asked him what had happened was because of said notes.**

"I think he burnt the notes," he said simply. "He said that, even though he hadn't actually done anything, cause he'd been in a limbo-like state for the past ten years, they made him feel guilty."

**"Bill Cipher feeling guilty, that's definitely not something I ever thought I'd hear," Ford said as they reached the statue. Ford approached the scanner he had hidden in between the bushes and plugged in the USB before sitting down and turning to face Dipper. This one would take a little longer.**

Dipper laughed a little. "It was never something I'd thought I'd say, either," he hummed, looking at the statue for a moment before turning to sit down, facing Ford.

**"Yes, it definitely doesn't sound like the Bill Cipher I know..." Ford said and then an idea came to his mind and his eyes widened a little. "Are you absolutely sure that he is though? Our Bill?"**

Dipper paused. "I.. I think so? Because he knew everything about Weirdmaggedon."

**"Yes, well, but he could still be another Bill, I know there's at least one more," Ford explained. He had heard of him in his travels across dimensions but had never seen him.**

"Yeah, Will. His name is Will," Dipper hummed, smiling a little.

**"Yes, you've heard about him? I don't think I ever mentioned him," Ford found it interesting now that Bill had used that name in the beginning. Even if it was just another shortened version of his name.**

"Bill told me about him. He made a game out of it- trying to get me to figure it out and guess and giving me some clues to help me along. Trying to cheer me up, you know, giving me a mystery to solve."

**"That's nice of him." Really, everything about this Bill they had living in their house right now simply sounded too nice. "And how do you know he isn't actually Will?"**

"Because I-" He stopped. Really, how did he know? He didn't know anything about Will.. or really Bill, to be completely honest. "I... Hope not," he found himself saying. "Because that would mean that... our entire relationship was built on some pretty big lies. I don't think he is, I think he's Bill, but... I guess don't know for sure."

**"Oh, yes, I guess in a way it wouldn't be better for you if that was the case." Ford shook his head and smiled. "Don't mind me, it was just a thought, Dipper. I don't know much about Will myself, to be honest, just that he didn't have the easiest life... Maybe he still doesn't, who knows." The old man shrugged.**

Dipper nodded a little, chewing on his lower lip slowly. Now that Ford had put the thought in his head, he couldn't seem to shake it. No, of course, of course, Bill wouldn't be lying to him after all this, right? It would have been easier for him to keep saying he was Will, then! It would have prevented so much. "I get the impression Bill didn't, either," he said softly.

**Ford wasn't sure if he could agree with that, so he simply nodded and didn't say anything. The man checked his watch and then pulled the USB out of the machine, knowing the date had finished downloading into it. "Well, let's go, we still have some ground to cover." Ford pulled a bag of chips out of his pocket and offered it to Dipper. "Want some?"**

Dipper climbed to his feet, brushing the dirt and grass from his jeans. "Yep," he agreed, closing the distance between them. Pausing, he smiled a little and took the bag. "Sure, thanks." Munching on a couple as they started walking, he offered it back to Ford.

**Ford took the bag back and grabbed a few chips himself.**

 

**Together, Ford and Dipper went to the other three spots they had to visit and Ford got all the date that he needed to analyze -or well, that he would make his computer analyze, he usually didn't bother with it unless he felt something was wrong. When they returned to the shack it was already getting dark. Ford had had a good time, he had missed having his nephew by his side and while things had started out a little tense, he felt that their relationship was better already.**

Dipper was exhausted and hungry by the time they got back, but he was smiling and happy and- things were good. He hadn't felt this good in a while like maybe everything was going to work out for the first time in his life. Honestly, he couldn't wait to see. Dipper beat Ford to the door, tossing it open with a "We're home!" call.

AlgaLenn - 02/25/2018

**Bill had been watching Duck-tective with Mabel -if anyone asked, he had been forced to watch it-, but as soon as he heard Dipper, he stood up and went to meet him at the door. "I was starting to think about going to get you, I didn't know you were going to take that long."**

Dipper smiled tiredly, coming closer to rest his forehead against Bill's shoulder. "I didn't know we'd be gone that long, either. We wound up going a lot farther than planned." He turned his head to flash a grin at Ford.

**Ford smiled a little and nodded. "Yes, you should eat something, Dipper. I'm going to go down to the lab to upload the data," he said and then left the room, not looking at Bill even once.**

 

**Bill sighed and rolled his eyes. "He still has problems with me, doesn't he?" At least Dipper seemed happier, so that meant it hadn't gone too bad. "Come on, I'll make you something, I think I can figure it out."**

"Yeah, I will," he murmured, nuzzling against the demon slightly. "You should too, though, don't just lock yourself in your lab all night!" he called after him, laughing a little. 

"Hm.. yeah. I think he always will. But he understands better now... and I think he's willing to try. Good enough for me." Stepping back, he smiled a little and nodded. "Okay... Thanks, Bill."

**Yeah, the demon supposed that was the best he could hope for, it wasn't like he would ever be able to trust Ford, so... They were even, at least for now. "Pasta sounds good?" He asked as they walked into the kitchen. "I should cook for everyone, right? That would be 'the right thing to do'?"**

Dipper followed along, sitting at the table and nodding. "Yeah, pasta is good. You should, it would, in fact, be the nice thing to do. I can make the sauce if you want," he hummed, propping his head up in his hand.

**Bill shook his head. "You stay there, you've been walking around all day, I'll take care of the food." Pasta was easy, he just needed to boil the water and get the pasta in it, not a challenge. The sauce would be trickier, but Bill was confident he could do it.**

Dipper smiled slowly, nodding again and resting his head on the table. "Alright... You can just use a jar of sauce, in the cupboard. Warm it up in a separate pan," he hummed.

**"Oh? Just like that?" Easier than he had thought then. Bill filled a saucepan with water, added a handful of salt into it and put it to boil, then joined Dipper by the kitchen table since all he had to do was wait. "Tell me how it went then, you look happier."**

"You can make it from scratch, but a jar is just as good," Dipper nodded against the table, smiling softly as he watched Bill bustle around the kitchen. Once he sat down, though, he quickly shifted to lean against him instead. "Good... It was, really good, Bill. We talked, there was some fighting and yelling and crying but... it worked out really well. I think he understands."

**The demon was glad to hear that in the end things had gone okay if Dipper had come back crying he didn't know how he would have reacted. "Really? That's... Good. Is he going to leave me alone? Is he going to help?"**

"He's going to leave you alone," he agreed, nuzzling against his shoulder. "But he doesn't want you to have your powers back. He's going to let me look in his library, but he wanted me to see if I could talk you into breaking our deal."

**Bill frowned a little. It was okay though, he had expected that to happen, he knew Dipper wouldn't ask that of him. "He had the nerve to ask you that? He should know I would never consider it." He wasn't going to give up his powers, no way.**

"He brought up some pretty valid concerns about it. Not that I was going to do it," he murmured soothingly.

**Bill rolled his eyes. "He's just worried I'm just using you and once I get them back I'm going to betray you." Which, okay, knowing him it was a pretty valid point, but he wasn't going to do that. Bill glanced at the water once it started boiling and he stood up. "It really doesn't sound like he understands," Bill added and then grabbed a bag of pasta, opened it and threw all its contents into the pan.**

"That isn't what he was worried about," Dipper murmured. "He was worried that once you got your powers back you'd become a demon again. And you'd lose the human emotions. So you just... wouldn't care anymore." He rested his head in his hand again, watching Bill the entire time.

**Bill huffed a laugh and shook his head. "What? No... that wouldn't make sense," he said, but part of him was actually worried about that now, he hadn't considered that possibility. Still, he didn't want to stay like this forever, he didn't like most things about being human... "It's nonsense, sapling." Bill glanced over his shoulder at Dipper with a smile. "Don't worry about it."**

"Yeah... I didn't think that would happen," he agreed, returning the smile with one of his own, soft and warm and tired. "I think I'll get a couple of the books from the library tomorrow. Start looking again.."

**"Great, I can't wait to end this. I enjoy food, but it's annoying that I need to eat all the time and the other things? Definitely not going to miss having to pee." Bill chuckled and as he waited for the pasta to be ready he grabbed another pan to heat up the canned sauce.**

Dipper just laughed sleepily, shaking his head. “Fair enough.”

**Bill glanced at the human and smiled fondly at him. He really was tired... Ford and he probably had covered a lot of ground. Bill looked back at the food and turned off the fire when he was sure the pasta was done, then he got rid of the water, mixed in the sauce and served Dipper and himself a plate. He supposed the others would smell food and come running in a bit.**

Dipper smiled a little, sitting up again as a plate was set in front of him. “Thanks, sweetheart,” he murmured, taking a bite with a satisfied hum.

**Bill grinned. “Anything for you, kid,” he told the other and then he started eating as well.**

It wasn’t long before Mabel came bouncing into the kitchen, chatting with Dipper as he ate.

**Bill didn’t join the conversation and instead ate in silence. At first, he paid attention to what the twins were talking about but soon his mind drifted somewhere else since he wasn’t truly interested in that. He ended up thinking a little too much about what Ford had suggested, about him going back to being the same as he used to be if he got his powers back... He sure hoped that hadn’t made Dipper start having doubts.**

**Bill finished before the other two and stood up. “I’m going to take a shower,” he told Dipper. The demon had learned that those really helped him relax and get his mind off of things. They were the next best thing after sex. “Will you stay in my room again tonight?”**

Dipper’s and Mabel’s conversation was scattered and didn’t really make sense, but it was light and fun and Dipper was laughing through most of it. It had taken his mind completely off the worries Ford had left him with. 

Glancing up, he smiled a little and nodded. “Yeah... I’ll have to shower first, too, but I’ll meet you there.”

**Bill smiled at his boyfriend and Mabel before leaving the kitchen. He didn’t bother to clean up his plate or the stuff he had used, he felt he was entitled this time since he had cooked -though most times he didn’t really bother with that.**

**The demon took a quick shower and then headed to his room and tried to keep his mind thinking about simple things for a while, like how maybe it would be a good idea if Dipper just moved downstairs with him.**

Mabel volunteered to do the dishes since Dipper was dozing off against her shoulder once he finished. Laughing a little, he thanked her, and once he was sure Bill was done went to take his own shower. 

He was tired enough to not be bothered by worries or thoughts, everything was just a bit of a fuzzy blur as he showered and wandered back to Bill’s room.

**“What took you so long, kid?” Bill asked thought he really hadn’t been waiting for such a long time. The demon pulled Dipper close to him, once the other joined him in bed, and kissed him softly. “You’re really tired, aren’t you?”**

“Walking is hard,” he answered, shrugging a little before crawling into the bed and letting Bill tug him closer, quite happy to snuggle into his chest. Returning the kiss, he nodded. “Hmm... yeah..”

**“So today we just sleep then,” Bill pointed out and pulled the blankets over them, making sure his boyfriend was properly covered so that he wouldn’t get cold during the night. “I was thinking... Wouldn’t you want to move all your stuff down here?”**

Dipper smiled fondly, snuggling under the blankets better. Pausing, he slowly looked up at Bill, eyes wide. “Would... can I? Do you want me to?”

**“I mean, why not? It just makes sense, you’ve been spending most nights with me anyway,” Bill said, trying to make it sound like it wasn’t a big deal.**

“Yeah, but.... there’s a difference,” he murmured, nuzzling against his shoulder.

**“Yeah, whatever, do you want to or not? I can get everything down here tomorrow myself so you won’t have to bother with it,” Bill said and glanced away. It seemed a nice task to occupy his mind with.**

Dipper smiled softly, nodding against his shoulder and tightening his hold on him just slightly. “Yeah, Bill. That sounds... great. I’d love to.”

**"Perfect, I'll take care of it then." Bill kissed Dipper on the cheek and then closed his eyes. "Good night, my sapling," he murmured.**

"Good night," he breathed, eyes closing as he dozed off.

 

For a while, his sleep was peaceful- he was exhausted, after all, it only makes sense. But... near morning, his dreams twisted, and dove headfirst down a dark path that woke him with gasping breaths and a soft sob.

**Bill was awake before Dipper, having woken up from a sort of nightmare about half an hour ago as well. At the time he had been grateful that Dipper hadn't been woken up by him but when he noticed the other had clearly been in a similar situation, he felt bad for not waking him up. "Hey, hey, it's okay, kid," Bill tried to reassure the other like Dipper usually did for him. "It wasn't real."**

Dipper sucked in a couple breaths, curling his fingers into the sheets as he calmed down. Nodding a little, he rubbed at his eyes, stopping the tears before they could really start. “Right,” he agreed weakly.

**Bill gently cupped Dipper's face and made the other look at him. "That bad?" He wanted to know what it had been but at the same time, he was afraid to ask.**

Dipper reached up to wrap his hands around Bill’s wrists, holding him there and nodding a little. “Yeah... that bad.”

**Bill hesitated for a moment. "Do you... need to talk about it?" He finally asked. He assumed it would have something to do with what he and Ford had talked about yesterday.**

Dipper was quiet for a long time, before sighing slowly and tightening his hold on Bill’s wrists. “It.... it was about what would happen. If Ford is right. About you getting your powers back.”

**Bill threw his head back and sighed. Of course, he was right. "Nothing will happen, Mason, please, don't worry about that." He wanted to make Ford pay for getting that idea into his boyfriend's mind.**

Dipper closed his eyes tightly, nodding a little. “I know. I know, Bill, I know everything will be okay,” he murmured. “I just can’t control what happens in my dreams. I’m sorry..”

**Bill glanced at Dipper once again and nodded, "Yes, I know, I know." The demon leaned forward and placed a kiss to Dipper's forehead. "Once I have my powers back and I don't need sleep anymore, I'll make sure you never have a nightmare again, I promise, Mason."**

Dipper smiled a little, leaning up into the kiss. “Thanks,” he murmured, finally letting go of his wrists to instead cup his cheeks, holding him still so he could kiss him.

**Bill kissed Dipper back, keeping it gentle. He really hoped the human wasn't having second thoughts about their deal because Bill didn't think he would be able to bring himself to break it if Dipper asked.**

Dipper pulled back slowly, breaking the kiss with a fond smile. “It’ll be okay,” he said, pressing their foreheads together.

**"Of course it will be, now come on, let's have breakfast so that I can start moving your stuff to this room," Bill said and then he climbed out of bed. It would be an uneventful day, Bill would make sure of that, no more problems, at least for a day.**

Dipper laughed a little, getting out of bed as well and raking his fingers through his hair to smooth it out. Satisfied, he happily stole Bill’s hand. “That’ll be fun, and Mabel will probably love having her own room.”

**"Yes, she'll definitely like that." Bill pulled Dipper closer and together they walked to the kitchen. "I made dinner yesterday, so now it's your turn," Bill said, despite the fact that Dipper had pretty much cooked for him since he had gotten back.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're enjoying this as much as we are! Let us know in the comments and expect another update next week! - Alga


	18. Doubts and Annoyed Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill doesn't want to spend another second as a human, but Dipper still has his doubts.

For the next few days, Dipper spent any free time he could digging through the books in Ford’s library, slipping the ones written in other languages out so Bill had something to work with as well. It made the work go faster, in the end. He wasn’t sure how Ford felt about all of it, because when they spent time together, Dipper didn’t bring it up. Things were finally, mostly okay, and he was clinging to that feeling with everything he had. 

It wasn’t until he had been looking for nearly a week that he found something useful. The book he hadn’t recognized from before, and he quickly ran through the pages. A light went off in his head. “Bill!” He yelled, pounding up the stairs with the books clutched to his chest to find his boyfriend.

**The demon was going through one of the books Dipper had given him to translate. It was about demons in general, so he wasn't paying that much attention since most things in there didn't apply to him. There was one particular chapter that talked about demonic magic and human corruption. It made him a little bit nervous, but then again, it was supposed to be common when normal humans started dabbling in that sort of thing, taking power they couldn't really control from realms similar to The Nightmare Realm. It shouldn't apply to him, right? He wasn't human and he wasn't going to take someone else's power, it was his own, the one he had been born with.**

**Bill looked up from the book when Dipper called him and he closed it. It was in a human language and while Dipper had given it to him, Bill knew that given some time he could read it, so he didn't want to risk him finding that chapter. "You found something?"**

Dipper held the book out, grinning. “I’m not sure how well it’ll work, but it’s about retrieving locked powers and had information about extracting them from items and bodies, so... I’m not an expert but it seems to cover all the bases?” Pausing, he crossed the room to sit next to him. “It talks about... consequences, too.”

**Bill frowned a little bit, the last thing he wanted to hear about right now was consequences. "I'm sure it's nothing too serious..." he said and smiled at the other. "That could really work, it seems to be exactly what we need, so-" Bill clapped and gave Dipper an expectant look- "what do we need to do?"**

Dipper opened the book again, holding it between them to show the detailed drawing spanning both pages. "This. At the statue, if I understand it right. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong."

**Bill read the steps and nodded. "Yes, it sounds like the right thing to do... Great!" He grinned. The book was old and there were a few words that had faded away with time, but the general idea was there and it sounded right, the steps for the ritual were complete as well. "I know where to get what we need too... Except for a few things that you'll probably have to ask your uncle."**

“Do you want to take a look at what could go wrong, too?” He asked softly, flipping a couple pages forward.

**Bill grabbed Dipper's wrist and stopped him. "Nothing will go wrong, sapling, what did we say about worrying, huh?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.**

Dipper shook his head. “Yeah, but there’s a difference between thinking nothing will go wrong and  being prepared just in case.”

**Bill rolled his eyes, but he let go of Dipper's wrist. "Alright, enlighten me, kid." He didn't even want to read it, the fewer details he knew about it the less he would worry. Worrying too much could be dangerous when performing rituals, it often was what made things go wrong.**

Dipper flipped a couple pages. “Okay... so there’s a chance it’ll just completely destroy your body. That’s it. No more. And you could just be.... sent back into the Nightmare wherever.”

**Bill bit his lip and nodded. That was okay, it was still just a chance. "That's it? Just that?" He had beaten worse odds than those... "You're forgetting I already came back from the dead once, kid."**

“Because an ancient god decided to let you.” Dipper flipped the page again. “You could also lose all your memories,” he added weakly. “And be reset back to the state you were before losing your powers.” So... Ford was right. There was a chance.

**Bill glanced at the words on the page but immediately turned away. "Again, just a small chance that will happen." Bill shrugged. "I'll take that chance." Bill was decided to get his powers back and he was trying his best not to care about the consequences, hoping there would be none.**

Dipper bit his lip, nodding slowly as he closed the book and clutched it to his chest. He was nervous and trying really hard not to worry. Bill would be fine, right? Still pretty much the same person he was... he cared about, but with his powers back. “Okay,” he murmured. “We should probably start, then.”

**Bill grinned. He was glad Dipper hadn't tried to convince him not to do it, he wouldn't have wanted to argue with him. "Great!" Bill stood up and stretched a little. "I'll see you at the statue in an hour, I'm sure getting the stuff from Ford will require some convincing." About an hour was what would take him to mind the other thing they needed as well, so if they went separate ways it would definitely be faster.**

Dipper nodded again, standing to go find Ford. He took the book with him, keeping it pressed against his chest.

**Ford was expecting Dipper to be back, he knew he had found the ritual at last and would be needing to ask him for a golden knife. The old man had known about the ritual for a while but hadn't told Dipper anything because he had hoped to postpone the inevitable as much as possible. "So? You find it, didn't you? How did he take it?" Ford asked once the other had walked down the stairs of the lab.**

Dipper nodded a little, coming closer. “He’s really excited, getting the stuff we need right now. We’re supposed to meet in an hour.” Quietly, he set the book down. “I need a knife. A gold one. Do you have one?” His voice was soft, and he wasn’t quite making eye contact with the elder of the pair.

**Ford bit his lip and nodded. "I do..." he said, but didn't move from his spot to get it. "Something is troubling you." He knew exactly what, but again, Dipper wasn't supposed to know he had found the almost a week ago. "What is it?"**

Dipper waited, sighed softly when it was clear Ford wasn’t going to just hand it over for him. “I... it’s just...” he sighed again, opening the book and silently nudging it over to Ford. “Bill isn’t afraid of the consequences. But I am.”

**Ford opened the book and searched for the right page. He had already read it, but he did it again, just to pretend he hadn't seen it before. "You're right to be... Dipper, I can't let you do this, is too risky," he told his nephew, glancing up from the book.**

“That isn’t what I meant by afraid,” he said quietly, thinking that Ford had gone to the inevitable ‘what would happen to the town he can’t be controlled’ part. Dipper was much more worried about losing the demon. “Besides. We never broke the deal.”

**"It's not too late to try and convince him... Or..." Ford glanced at the book again. He was sure the solution to their problem was also in it, that he had found it. "You can't break the deal, but I'm not bound by it... I might have found a way to destroy the statue and the energy it contains."**

“Bill’s probably already there, he wouldn’t let you,” he argued slightly. “And you can't fight, please. You can’t do that.”

**"He needs to get unicorn hair for the spell, right?" Ford opened the book once again to check. "That's going to take him a while, we have time. But it's your choice, Dipper."**

“I... I don’t... I..” He looked miserable, wrapping his arms around himself, tears welling in his eyes. “I don’t know,” he whispered.

**Ford's shoulders dropped and he pulled his nephew into a hug. "Dipper, it's okay, you don't have to make the decision now... You can just tell Bill I didn't give you the knife or that I told you I didn't have it." He didn't want his nephew to suffer... He worried about the town as well, but if things went wrong he knew that Dipper wouldn't be able to make it.**

“Okay,” he whimpered, clutching to his coat as he slowly dissolved into tears on his shoulder.

**Ford patted his nephew’s back a couple of times, trying to calm him down. “It’s going to be okay, Dipper, don’t worry.” As much as he would have liked to get rid of Bill, he really didn’t want Dipper to suffer, so he would do everything he could to avoid that.**

“It won’t, nothing is going to be okay, because it’s all going to go wrong,” he whispered, voice choked as he tried to press closer.

**“No, Dipper, it’ll be okay,” Ford continued to try and reassure the younger man.”We’ll make sure of that. Now let’s go, I’ll make you some tea and once you feel better you can go look for Bill.” Ford started guiding Dipper up the stairs.**

Dipper followed along, certainly not fighting as he dried his face and slowed his tears, taking several deep breaths. By the time they reached the kitchen, he looked better- pale and shaky, but no longer sobbing.

**Ford prepared tea for the two of them and once it was ready he sat down by the kitchen table and handed Dipper his mug. He didn’t say anything, wanting to give the other time to recover without making him think about anything else.**

Dipper took the mug, holding it between his hands and savoring the warmth. It was still a few minutes before he even tried to drink it, taking several slow sips to help settle his frazzled nerves. "Okay," he murmured. "I'm better. Thank you.."

**“Glad to hear that.” Ford smiled a little and took a sip of his own tea. He hoped their plan would work... if it didn’t he had another solution, but it was a bit extreme and he didn’t want to tell Dipper about it unless it was absolutely necessary.**

Dipper nodded a little, staring down into his cup. God... he had no idea what to do, how was he supposed to do this? There were so many things that could go wrong, with the ritual and the Deal and just... Bill, in general.

**Ford thought about offering to go with Dipper, but that would probably cause more problems than solve them. He wished he could help his nephew in any other way, make things easier for him... But this sort of thing was to be expected when dealing with Bill Cipher, he had tried to warn him...**

Dipper checked the time and finished his tea, standing and running his fingers through his hair. "Alright, I have to go or I'll be late," he sighed, shaking his head a little. "Thanks, Ford. I'll see you later." Flashing a weak smile, he turned and left the building.

**“See you later, Dipper. Don’t worry, everything will be fine,” Ford reassured him again and then let him go.**

**Bill was waiting for Dipper by the statue, having prepared everything already, the only thing missing was the knife and he would be able to begin. He was so excited.**

Dipper made his way to the statue, arms folded over his chest and picking at his sleeves. He didn't like this, he didn't want to tell Bill that they weren't doing it. He was still going to, but he just... didn't want to. "Hey, Bill," he said softly, pushing aside the branches.

**"Hey! I was starting to worry, I thought about going back to get you," Bill approached his boyfriend and, when he noticed the expression on his face and the swollen eyes, his smile disappeared. "What is it? What's wrong?" He asked, already assuming the worst.**

He shook his head, taking a deep breath and forcing his shoulders back so he stood up straight. "We can't do this today," he said, trying to keep the waver out of his voice. "No knife."

**Bill's expression turned dark for a second and he had to repress the urge to burn down the whole forest. But he couldn't take it out on Dipper, it wasn't his fault, it was Ford's. "Of course he didn't give it to you! What was I thinking?" Bill rubbed his eye and sighed. "Trying to be nice and asking for it, sure, damn I'm so stupid!" The demon took Dipper's hands and smiled a little at him. "Don't worry, kid, I'll find a way to get it."**

Dipper squeezed his hands, taking another deep breath. "I don't... Listen, Bill, I'm not so sure we should do this so soon," he started. "I think... well. I think there's still a chance that things could go wrong. And I want to take precautions."

**Bill blinked a coupled of times. Really? Now? He had everything ready! "I thought we had talked about this already," he said, trying to keep himself calm, though you could tell he was close to blowing up.**

Dipper stood his ground, refusing to let Bill scare him, or use the anger against him. “We don’t have the knife anyway! What do you want from me, an apology? I won’t apologize for caring about your life.”

**Bill groaned and shook his head. "If you truly cared about my life you wouldn't want me to spend another second like this, Mason! And don't try to cover your ass with the knife-" the demon pushed Dipper a little, backing him up against a tree. "Look at me in the eye and tell me you would have gone through with this if you had gotten it."**

Dipper tensed up, fighting the instinct to shove Bill off of him, remove himself from the trapped position he was in. “I would have had the same arguments. I still would have wanted to take precautions,” he said firmly. “But if I had the knife in my hand I would have given it to you.”

**"Oh, really?" Bill didn't believe a word. "Don't lie to me, do I need to go inside your mind?" He had put his trust in Dipper and he hated feeling like he was being played, that the other wouldn't keep his end of the deal. "Why did you take so long with Ford?"**

“I have never lied to you,” he hissed. “And don’t you dare, don’t use your powers against me.” He was shaking just slightly, gritting his teeth and curling his hands into fists. “I had a panic attack!” He screamed. “That’s what took so long, I didn’t come out here when I was panicking and sobbing and couldn’t think straight!”

**That made Bill back away a little. That possibility hadn't occurred to him. Shit, he had fucked up again, hadn't he? He was just so tired of this meaningless and annoying sort of human existence. "Oh..." The demon looked down at his feet and bit his lip. "I didn't think of that..."**

Dipper sucked in a harsh breath, fixing his shirt and glaring at the ground. No... no, he wouldn’t cry again, he wasn’t going to break, he could do this. “Yeah, I noticed,” he said darkly, folding his arms over his chest. “This scares me. The thought there’s a chance you could die or just forget about us is terrifying, okay? So I panicked. And Ford had to calm me down. And, yes, he didn’t give me the knife, but probably because we both knew what I would have done with it if he had let me take it after that.”

**Bill made a face and sighed. He reached for the other man, but half-way there he let his hand drop back to his side and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I know I should consider your feelings more... I don't want you to get hurt." It was hard though, when he had what he wanted practically in front of him, it was hard to think of others, to not be selfish for once. The demon sat down on the ground, cross-legged, and closed his eyes. "I'm just tired."**

Dipper glanced up at him, letting out a slow breath as he moved to sit near Bill- not quite close enough to touch, but nearly. “I know you are,” he said quietly, folding his hands in his lap and tugging on his sleeves. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to be stuck like this any longer.”

**Bill just kept quiet for a few minutes, thinking, trying to stay calm for Dipper's sake. "So now what? What exactly can we do to prevent bad things from happening?" He finally asked, glancing at the human expectantly.**

Dipper looked up slowly. “I think there were a few things in the book,  but I didn’t finish it. I was so excited to finally have something for you.” He pulled the book out of his bag. “And maybe some protection spells? Ones meant to help contain power. I don’t know. I’m just guessing.”

**"That could work, I suppose..." Bill knew of one that would certainly work, but no matter how much he trusted Dipper he wasn't going to let him use it, not with his consent, so it was better to just keep it a secret and hope they found others.**

“We’ll have to look,” he said quietly, drawing his knees to his chest as he thought. “I’ll check the library again, there should be a few good books on spells... do you know any?” He looked up, smiling a little.

**Bill huffed a laugh. "I gotta be honest with you, sapling, I don't think a spell to contain my power exists," he lied. "I mean, you know who I am, there's not that many beings in the multiverse as powerful as me."**

Dipper hummed a little, nodding slowly. "Yeah... Yeah, you're probably right," he said, completely trusting what the other said. "But there's probably something out there," he continued. "And I'll find it."

**"I admire your persistence, as always." Bill smiled and allowed himself to move a little bit closer tot eh other. "I'll help. As much as I don't like to use the word 'control' when it comes to my powers, I understand that you have valid worries and I want to make them go away, so I'll do what's necessary, Mason."**

Dipper smiled softly, shifting a little closer as well. "Thanks, Bill. I understand that you're frustrated, but I really appreciate that you're willing to go with me on this." Looking around, he nodded a little. "We should clean up- wouldn't want anyone else to get a hold of this.. I'm sorry you went through all this effort for nothing."

**"It's okay, it will be annoying to have to get the unicorn hair again but it won't be that terrible," Bill said and stood up to go and clean up everything he had prepared. Luckily, since he didn't have the knife, they wouldn't have to worry about cleaning up blood.**

Dipper laughed a little, standing to help him- packing the ingredients they could keep for a little while, destroying the ones they couldn’t.

**Once they were done Bill laid down on the ground, next to his statue. He wasn't in the mood to go back to the Mystery Shack now, he knew that it wasn't a good idea for him to face Ford now, even if he had only been keeping the knife to himself to stop Dipper from self-harming.**

Dipper hesitated for just a moment before moving to lay next to Bill, not quite touching, but close enough so that if Bill wanted, he could.

**The demon rolled over to lay on his side, facing the human. "Are you feeling better?" He asked him and moved a little bit closer, but he didn't touch the other, still hesitant. He was afraid Dipper would flinch away, after how he had treated him earlier.**

The human followed suit, rolling onto his side and pillowing his head with his arm. “Yeah... yeah, I am. Are you?” He asked in return.

**"Stop worrying about me, I'm fine," Bill smirked and then glanced up at the sky. The sun was going down already. "Summer's almost over..." he pointed out. "You're staying here, right?"**

"I'm always going to worry about you," Dipper pointed out with a fond smile. Glancing up as well, he nodded. "Yeah, I basically live here now. And I'm done with school."

**"Right, you're not a kid anymore, kid." The demon huffed a laugh and crossed his arms over his head, using them as a pillow. "And you want to help keep the Mystery Shack open because you think it's good for kids to believe the things in it are real, keep the illusion or whatever." He rolled his eyes. "So noble."**

"And because I want to be able to explore the woods whenever I want," he pointed out, smiling a little before slowly moving closer so he could rest against Bill's side.

**Since the other was the one who moved closer, the demon allowed himself to wrap an arm around his body. "Have you ever thought about showing real creatures in the Shack?"**

"There are a couple models of real ones," he reminded, snuggling into his chest. "And in winter, we do. The ones that don't hibernate, anyway- it's gotten to the point that a few just show up every day."

**"Oh really? They are probably taking advantage of your hospitality, the Gravity Fall's woods are tough during winter times. Intelligent creatures," Bill laughed. "See, I'm not the only one around that likes to use your family."**

"Hey, I have no problems with it. I get paid, they get fed, the tourists leave getting to pretend that they saw 'real mythical creatures' even as their telling their kids they were just costumes and robots." He smiled a little.

**"Of course, humans can't accept the truth even when it's staring at them in the eyes, your minds are usually too weak to handle it." Bill pocked Dipper's forehead and grinned. "Does Mabel stay too? What about the Stans? I'm trying to figure out if I'll ever get to have you all to myself for longer than just a day."**

"If they did, I'd be out of a job pretty quick," he laughed, shaking his head a little. "Mabel usually goes on trips or goes home to see our parents. Stan takes a vacation to somewhere warm, and for the past few years Ford either stays with me or takes short trips to deal with minor mysteries."

**"Mmm... Well, let's hope he decides to go on one of those trips." Bill placed a soft kiss on Dipper's cheek. The demon had the feeling that he wouldn't though, not when he knew he would be around. Bill wasn't stupid, it was clear that Ford would never trust him.**

“I think he'd have too. One, he’d go stir crazy here, and two, there actually are things he’s gonna have to take care off,” he missed, kissing Bill’s chin.

**"Mmm..." Bill kissed Dipper again, this time closer to his lips. "Really?" Another kiss, closer. "Like what?" He murmured against the human's soft lips.**

Dipper laughed a little, soft and breathy. "Like... creatures that only come out in the winter," he whispered. "Or are only a problem when they do."

**"I thought Gravity Falls was the only place in this planet that was a weirdness magnet." But if Ford was used to those trips around the country already it clearly meant that it wasn't. He wondered what would have happened if he had ended up being drawn somewhere else. "Have you traveled with your great uncle in the past?"**

“Not even close. But we are the strongest one, from what Ford and I can tell,” he hummed, shrugging a little. “Oh, yeah. A few times, more often when I was younger. I don’t as often anymore, but it was always fun.”

**"I see... well, don't get any ideas of running off with him this winter." Bill caressed Dipper's cheek with the back of his fingers and then pulled his hair out of the way to reveal with the birthmark. "Maybe we can stay the night here, see the stars... I don't really feel like going back now."**

“I’m not saying I don’t like it, but you do realize that so I do creepily possessive, right?” He asked, leaning into the touch and rolling his eyes with a fond smile. “Yeah, sure... I don’t see why not,” he murmured, breaking away to nuzzle into his neck.

**Bill grinned. "Of course I do, what's your point?" Was it that bad that he wanted to have his Pine Tree all to himself for a few months? Ever since they got together he had been sharing him!**

“Hey, I never said I didn’t like it,” he pointed out, smiling softly. “I’d love to spend a few months with just you.”

**"Great, we're on the same page then." Bill pulled Dipper into a kiss and rolled them over so that he was laying on top of the human. The sun finally set behind the trees, leaving them mostly in darkness. Soon the moon would be out and illuminate the night sky for them to enjoy.**

Dipper slipped his arms around Bill’s neck, smiling up at him- as much as he could see, anyway, left mostly blind until the moon came out in full. He played with his hair gently, pulling the demon down for another kiss.

**The demon returned the kiss. He was tempted to deepen it, take things a step further, but after their little 'fight' he wasn't sure the other would want to, so he kept it PG. "Are you hungry? I know I am," he said after breaking the kiss and he looked around. They weren't prepared to stay the night, at least not by the statue. "You had supplies in that tree house of yours, right?"**

He nodded, gently pushing at Bill’s chest. “Yeah, I do. Food and water and blankets,” he murmured, smiling a little.

**"Maybe staying the night there will be better in that case," Bill pointed out and stood up, then offered Dipper his hand. "Does it have a nice view of the stars too?"**

Dipper took his hand and stood, nodding. “Yeah, it's pretty nice,” he hummed, tightening his hold and picking up his bag before heading to the hideout. “After you,” he grinned, offering him the rope ladder.

**Bill climbed up the ladder and made himself comfortable against the tree. Now that he was actually paying attention, he could see that Dipper had a really nice place up there, prepared for everything really. "Why do you have this place, kid?" He asked the other once he made it to the top**

“Because sometimes I’d come out and refuse to come back,” he said simply, pulling the ladder up and tucking it away. “And everyone was worried because I didn’t have a place to stay safe. So they made me build at least one, and one turned into five or six. I liked building them, it kept my mind focused.”

**"Huh, I see... You always felt more at home in these woods, am I right?" Bill asked and pulled the other into his lap. It was nice up there, private, the demon could get used to spending more time in here, even if there wasn't a comfortable bed to sleep in.(edited)**

“Yeah, I really have,” he agreed, settling into Bill’s lap and sliding his arms around him. “I like the quiet, more than anything. Everything’s so loud all the time.”

**Bill nodded and ran a hand through Dipper's hair. "You know, one of the main reasons why it was easy to spy on you and Ford before you, was because you two spent so much time in here," Bill began to explain and closed his eye. "I have eyes all over the town too, but here? Every single tree is like a window."**

Dipper leaned into his touch, humming softly. “Every single one? He asked, smiling a little. “Then I know I didn’t find all of them.”

**Bill sighed and shook his head. "You didn't find any of them," he confessed. "I wasn't planning to tell you this... But since you insist on taking some precautions in case I lose control when I get my powers back..." The demon opened his eye and looked back at Dipper.**

Dipper sat back a little, arching an eyebrow. “Oh...?”

**"You need to do your homework better, sapling, I left it clear in your great uncle's journal, but I guess you never bothered to solve my cipher," Bill smirked. "'Spying on you was a breeze, there are eyes inside the trees'," Bill quoted himself and placed a hand on the tree. "You would have had to burn down the whole forest to get rid of them, kill the trees, the etched ones outside were just little decoys."**

He hummed a little, shrugging slightly. “Well, good thing I don’t care that much,” he hummed, settling back against Bill’s chest.

**"Yeah, well, if you're right about the ritual and things go wrong you will care." The demon rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around the other. "You're welcome."**

"I suppose I will, yeah. But we're going to find spells and things to make sure it doesn't go wrong," he said softly, ducking his head to snuggle under Bill's chin. Still... that was incredibly good to know.

**"I know," Bill said but he didn't really have a lot of faith, considering there wasn't that much information about the ritual, to begin with, he didn't think there would be a way to improve it... In the end, the demon was pretty sure it would be all about hoping things wouldn't go wrong.**

Dipper wasn't very confident about their odds, but he wouldn't let himself give anything away. He wanted this to work, the thought of everything they'd worked for sleeping away wasn't one he was going to entertain for any longer. After a few minutes, he pulled back. "I'm hungry," he laughed a little, moving to gather some of his supplies.

**"Yeah, me too," Bill said and smiled. Getting serious for a moment had made him forget, now he needed to try and lighten up the mood a little. "So, does this count as a second date? Dinner under the moonlight?" He asked the other as he watched him get what they needed. "Want help?"**

"This can certainly count as a second date!" Dipper grinned, shaking his head a little. "Not very much to do. I need to replace the hotplate I had here, I just haven't gotten around to it. So it's all stuff that doesn't really need to be heated and could survive out here."

**"It's good enough for me, not all dates need to be fancy," Bill reassured the other and pulled him close once again. "Though I'd love to have another excuse to wear that suit, you know how much I love fancy."**

Dipper smirked slowly, passing Bill his portion as he settled back. “Hmm... me too. You looked incredible.”

**"Thanks, I bet you'd look good in one as well." The demon knew it wasn't the human's style, but one of these days he would get him into a suit for sure.**

“Hm, I don’t think so,” he hummed a little, quietly munching his way through the meal.

**Bill rolled his eyes. "Well, I do, someday I'll prove it to you." The demon started eating as well and threw his head back to look at the stars. "Look, you can see me from here," he said, pointing at his constellation, a triangle with a bowtie almost in the middle.**

Dipper laughed, tipping his head back to look at the stars before focusing on Bill again. “Yeah... I can,” he breathed.

**Bill glanced at Dipper and narrowed his eyes at him. "I meant in the sky, kid, you're not looking at the stars." He rolled his eyes and lowered his hand. "Oh, and there's you." Bill chuckled a little as he spotted The Big Dipper.**

"I did look at the stars, at first. But I found something more beautiful to look at, instead," he said with a smile, laughing again as he looked up at the constellation. "Oh, no, how'd I get up there."

**"You're a sap, kid." The demon smiled fondly at the human and then finished his food. It was still hard to believe for Bill that this guy wanted anything to do with him, it was like a dream, but there they were. "What's your favorite constellation, Mason?" Bill asked and wrapped an arm around the other.**

"You knew that already," he grinned, snuggling a little closer as the food was finished. Just looking up at the clear night sky above them. A perfect moment, one they had earned, one that Dipper felt he had fought hard enough for. "I.. Hm. I like Orion."

**"The hunter, I should have guessed." Bill sneaked a hand under Dipper's shirt and mindlessly drew shapes on his skin with his fingers. "One of Ford's favorites as well." It was incredible how alike and how different the two were at the same time.**

Dipper shivered a little, nodding. "I like that he's easy to find- that his belt sticks out," he added, lightly brushing his fingers along Bill's chest as he watched the sky.

**"You know, there's a dark side to his story... Most remember him as a hero and forget one of the myths says he threatened to kill all animals on Earth so Gaia punished him," Bill told the other as he continued to draw shapes, mostly triangles, on Dipper's skin. "You can't see my favorite constellation in this dimension," he murmured after a few minutes.**

"I like that, too," Dipper pointed out. "I like knowing that he wasn't perfect. I don't want heroes that never fucked up." He smiled a little, focusing on the shapes drawn across his skin. "Yeah?" he murmured. "What... what does it look like? What's the story?"

**“It’s sort of like a baby wolf,  a cub, but that dimension doesn’t have wolves,” Bill started explaining. “It was abandoned just a few days after being born, left to die because it was too weak, but t didn’t die, it got stronger and made a life of his own, a home of his own.” Of course, he liked it because it reminded him of his own story, parts of it. “Almost opposite to it in the sky you can see its pack, but only for half of the year and then they sort of disappear. Legend says the cub killed them.”**

Dipper nodded a little, smiling faintly. "That's really cool, Bill," he murmured, watching the stars again. He had so many questions, things he wanted to know about Bill's dimension but didn't think he could get away with asking.

**“From here I have to say I really like the Ursa Major,” Bill said and glanced at Dipper with a smile. “Almost as much as I like my own,” he added and chuckled a little.**

Dipper snickered, smiling up at Bill. "You're a dork," he teased fondly, taking his hand. For a while, things were quiet. "What was it like, where you were from?"(edited)

**Dipper's question took Bill by surprise and for a moment he didn't say anything. "Ugh, boring, you never want to visit a place like that one," he finally replied. The demon wondered if Dipper knew anything about his past or if he was just as in the dark as Ford used to be.**

“There must have been something you liked,” Dipper pressed. He had realized that he didn’t... know anything. That Ford hadn’t told him anything, that he couldn’t read the books he was sure had information. And he wanted to know, wanted to understand the demon better. “How long did you live there? What was your family like- did you have one, or a demon’s different? What about friends?” He kept asking.

**Bill sighed and threw his head back, resting it against the tree. "One: about three centuries, it was that bad, I got bored pretty fast. Two: yes, I used to have one, they were the worst of the bunch. Three: no, not friends, at least not from there." He explained and closed his eyes. Bill hated talking about his past, but he knew Dipper wouldn't stop asking.**

“Could you go back if you wanted?” He asked, pulling away a little to look up at Bill. “See your family again?”

**Bill let out a bitter laugh and glanced at Dipper for a brief second before he averted his gaze once again. There was darkness in his eye. "Do we really need to talk about this?"**

Dipper sat up instantly, looking at him intensely for a moment. “... No. of course not. Not if you don’t want to,” he said finally, still watching him.

**"Thanks," Bill said and rested his head on Dipper's shoulder. He knew that someday Dipper would demand answers from him, that he would get tired of not knowing because that was Dipper Pines for you, too curious for his own sake, but for now, Bill was fine. The demon didn't want to imagine what Dipper would think of him if he ever found out what he had done.**

Dipper slid an arm around the demon, gently brushing a hand along his back. At some point, he’d probably want answers, but if it upset Bill so much... he could wait. ”Hey, um... I just want you to know that it doesn’t matter that much to me,” he said, after a long stretch of silence. “If you just don’t want to talk about it. Or if something happened to make it so you don’t want to. I don’t care.”

**Bill rolled his eye and shook his head. "Oh, believe me, you care, even if you think you don't, you do. Or you will if you ever get the answers out of me." The demon took one of the blankets and a pillow and laid down, ready to sleep. "Now please, at least for now, let it go."**

Dipper sighed a little, settling down next to him. “Sure, Bill,” he agreed, curling up in his side under his own blanket. He highly doubted that, in all honestly- after everything, he highly doubted that he’d judge Bill too much.

**The demon let out a sigh of relief and pulled Dipper into his arms, keeping him close. "Sweet dreams, Mason," he murmured in his ear before closing his eye.**

Dipper burrowed into his chest, curling his fingers into his shirt. “Hmm... you too,” he breathed, closing his eyes and drifting off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Hope you guys enjoyed this one, I think we're pretty close to the end of the first arc... Still some drama in the way, as always. -Alga


	19. One Last Happy Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill in a horny demon (and an insecure demon).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's smut in this chapter, just a warning. Other than that it's sort of a filler.

**That night was rather peaceful for Bill, despite everything that had happened. He didn't dream, or well, didn't remember what he had dreamt once he had woken up, still snuggled up with Dipper.**

Dipper was just starting to wake up, shifting a little as the sun filtered through the trees to cast green-tinged light across his body. He made a soft sound, shifting to hide his face in Bill’s chest.

**Bill chuckled and kissed the top of Dipper's head. "You look adorable when you're just waking up, sapling." He murmured and gently pushed him away so that he could look at the other -and also force him to get up-.**

Dipper groaned a little, rolling on to his back and tossing his arm over his eyes. “Shhh... don’t tell anyone,” he mumbled, yawning softly

**Bill chuckled again and moved to a sitting position, then stretched a little. "Don't worry, my lips are sealed," he reassured the other and turned to face him. "Come on, get up, if you do I'll give you something you'll like..."**

“Hmm?” He propped himself up in his arms, letting his blanket fall around his waist. “Oh? And what would that be?” He asked teasingly, pushing himself up so he was sitting up straight

**Bill grinned and then leaned forward to kiss the human, hands going to tangle in Dipper's hair. This was a nice way to start the day, no distractions, no work, no one but them in the forest... Bill knew they couldn't have this forever, but he didn't mind, as long as he got to have it every one in a while.**

Dipper hummed into the kiss, sliding his arms around Bill’s neck as he returned it. This was actually perfect, the quiet of the forest, the sun, nothing to worry about for a few minutes. Just some time for the two of them to be calm.

**Bill hesitantly deepened the kiss a little, pushing his tongue into the other's mouth. He wanted more, but after yesterday and how he had treated Dipper back at the statue, he wasn't sure the other would be okay with that.**

Dipper groaned softly, sliding his hands up into Bill’s hair and tangling in the strands as he happily opened his mouth to the other. He wanted this, wanted more, wanted Bill.

**The demon smiled into the kiss and then gave it all he had, one of his hands going down Dipper's body and stopping over his ass before he lowered the other so that they were laying down once again, Bill straddling the human.**

He melted into the kiss, a soft, needy sound escaping him as Bill lowered him all the way down to the wood floor. Slowly, he dropped his hands to rest in the demon’s waist, smiling faintly.

**Bill broke the kiss for a second to admire his work. "You are incredibly needy, did you know that?" It was amazing with how little the other ended up melting in his arms, giving up all control. "I love that about you," Bill added, completely unaware that it was the first time he had used the word 'love' when talking about Dipper.**

Dipper flushed, looking away slightly at the comment. That was a bad thing, right? No one wanted a needy, clingy boyfr- his thoughts came to a screeching halt when Bill said that, though. Love. He loved, which meant he had to... care for Dipper at least some. “Oh..?” He managed weakly.

**"It just..." Bill slipped his hand inside Dipper's pants and squeezed his ass a little. "When you get like this..." The hand tangled in Dipper's hair went to grab the human's chin. "Makes me feel like no matter what I do to you..." The demon ran his thumb over Dipper's lower lip. "You'll like it."**

Dipper jumped slightly at the sudden, gasping softly. His eyes flickered up to Bill’s face, breath hitching and stopping for just a moment at the pressure of Bill’s thumb against his lip. “Pretty much,” he whispered

**Bill grinned and placed a soft kiss on Dipper's lips. "And you'd do anything for me just to get what you so badly want..." The demon moved the hand on Dipper's butt to the front of his pants and slowly unzipped them. "And you trust me enough to let me get you in this position, you trust I won't use it against you."**

Dipper kissed him back quickly, squirming just a little. "You won't," he said softly, eyes wide and pupils blown. "You won't use it against me."

**"Of course I won't," Bill murmured against Dipper's mouth as he pushed down the twin's pants and underwear. "I wouldn't do that to you, Mason," he added and kissed him again, wrapping his hand around the other's cock and pumping it a few times.**

He smiled a little against Bill's lips, taking a shuddering breath and arching slightly. "No, you wouldn't," he agreed, eyes closing for a moment.

**Bill gently nipped at Dipper's lip and then kissed down his throat, stopping on the spot where he usually bit the human to feed. "May I?" He asked, rubbing the tip of the human's cock with his thumb.**

Dipper sucked in a breath, letting out a shaky noise. "Go ahead," he murmured, sliding his fingers into Bill's hair.

**Bill sank his teeth into Dipper's flesh and sucked, moaning at the taste. As he drunk from the other he moved his hand up and down his shaft, slowly, teasingly.**

Dipper groaned, tightening his hand in Bill’s hair as he arched under him. Oh god, that was amazing, the pain and the pleasure, too much and not enough.

**The demon sucked a little harder and stroked Dipper a little faster. Even though he was enjoying himself quite a bit, he wanted to focus on Dipper right now, so after one last gulp of blood, the demon pulled away and closed the wound, before going back to kiss the human, knowing the other would be able to taste himself in his mouth.**

Dipper whined a little, kissing him back almost frantically. His free hand slid down to work on the button to Bill’s pants, unzipping them.

**Bill pushed Dipper's hand out of the way and grabbed his wrists, then pulled away and looked down at Dipper with a lust filled eye. "No touching, you hear me?" He told the other, then moved Dipper's arms to hold them over his head. "You move without me saying it's okay and I'm done," the demon warned.**

Dipper swallowed thickly, curling his hands into fists and nodding quickly. “Okay, yes okay, promise,” he babbled, panting harshly.

**Bill grinned and kissed the corner of Dipper’s mouth. “Good sapling,” He praised him before moving down Dipper’s body and wrapping his hand around his cock once again, except this time he didn’t stop there, no, the demon grinned down at Dipper, lowered himself a little and took the tip of the human’s dick into his mouth.**

Dipper whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut. Another soft moan escaped him, trying incredibly hard not to squirm under him, to not move.

**The demon moaned around Dipper’s cock and slowly started taking more of him. He would have deep-throated him if he wasn't worried about how his sort of human body would have reacted. Right now it was better to be cautious, that way he didn’t risk ruining the moment.**

Dipper cried out softly, digging his nails into his palms. “Oh, oh god, Bill,” he whimpered, fighting the urge to buck up into the wet warmth of his mouth.

**It took Bill a couple of minutes but he finally managed to take all of Dipper into his mouth. He felt it hit the back of his throat and almost choked, but he managed not to. Bill took a deep breath through his nose and then started bobbing up on down on the human’s cock.**

Dipper’s sounds just got louder, more desperate, especially when the tip of his cock bumped into the back of Bill’s throat. Clearly, it didn’t take much to drive him insane, he was already babbling nonsense. A few minutes later he was able to string together a sentence that made sense. “Oh, oh god B-Bill! I’m gonna- oh god yes, I’m gonna cum!”

**The demon sucked harder, not caring if the other game in his mouth, actually a little excited to taste him.**

It didn’t take long, a few more moments and his careful control broke- hips snapping up despite his best attempt at staying still as he came with a cry of Bill’s name.

**The demon choked a little, but he managed to swallow most of Dipper's load. He had to put his hands on Dipper's waist to stop him from moving so that he could finish the job and only once he had gotten most of it and he was sure the human was done cumming, he pulled away, licking his lips. "You're so good, Mason." He praised the other and moved up his body to kiss him softly. "You did well."**

“Sorry, sorry,” he whimpered before Bill even had a chance to start talking, coming down from his high. He’d moved, he’d been told not to move and he messed up. Dipper shuddered, panting softly under him before leaning up slightly to return the kiss.

**"It's okay, sapling, I know you'll do better next time." Bill kissed him one more time and ran a hand through Dipper's hair. "Did you like it?"**

“I will, I promise,” he whispered, kissing him back and turning into his touch. “I did. Can... what can I do for you?”

**Bill grinned and opened his pants. "Surprise me?" He said, raising an eyebrow at Dipper.**

Dipper paused for a moment before moving forward, gently tugging his pants down. “What kind of surprise?” He teased lightly, brushing his fingers against Bill’s stomach.

**Bill shivered a little and wrapped his arms around the other's neck. "I'll take anything you want to give me," he replied and kissed Dipper's forehead.**

Dipper paused for a moment. They didn’t really have the supplies for what he wanted to do... oh well. Maybe later. Pressing wet kisses down Bill’s neck, the human wrapped his hand around his cock, stroking slowly.

**"Mmm..." Bill closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the other's ministrations. Again, he wasn't all that vocal about it, but it didn't mean he didn't like it.**

Dipper nipped at his neck gently, pushing his shirt out of the way so he could continue kissing and biting and licking a trail down his stomach. Slowly, he ran his thumb over the tip.

**Bill's hips jerked a little and he let out a silent gasp. It still surprised him how Dipper's touch affected him, he had never thought he would be able to feel pleasure from anything that didn't involve some sort of pain, but the human had proven him wrong -the right kind of pain was still great though-.**

Dipper smiled a little- every small reaction he dragged out of Bill was like a trophy, a hard-won award. Still slow and careful, he covered Bill’s stomach with bites and kissed, and moved on- gently separating to continue along his inner thighs.

**A shiver ran through Bill's body and he opened his eyes, curious about what the other was planning. Maybe he would blow him like he had. The demon ran a hand through Dipper's hair to encourage him.**

Dipper released his cock so he could gently pull Bill down into a laying position. He was definitely going to blow him, but he wanted to do something else first. Suddenly, he ducked his head, separating Bill’s cheeks so he could go after his rim, licking and sucking and thrusting his tongue inside.

**"Oh..." Bill grinned and spread his legs open as much as he could to give Dipper more space. This was a bit more unexpected, but definitely welcomed, it made Bill think more about that first time of theirs... He wondered if Dipper would ever try to repeat that.**

Dipper would have loved to push it a bit, to actually continue down his line of pleasure- but they were sorely lacking in supplies and he couldn't risk it, didn't want to chance Bill getting hurt in the process. So he'd have to settle with teasing, working the rim for a few minutes before actually focusing on his cock again.

**"Your tongue, Pine Tree... Just..." Gods, it was amazing, the things the kid could do... You could tell Bill was really out of it by the fact that he had used the forbidden nickname. The demon squirmed a little every once in a while and, ever so rarely, he let out a quiet moan of gasp.**

Dipper was rather satisfied with the state he had reduced the Great Bill Cypher to, reaching up to lightly stroke him at the same time- he wanted him a little farther gone before he actually gave him any meaningful release.

**Bill was really close, but he was trying to keep his orgasm at bay for as long as possible, just in case the other had more planned.  When Dipper's hand wrapped around his cock again though, he almost lost it. The demon wasn't going to last too much longer.**

Dipper pulled away, smiling a little as he looked down at Bill. God, he loved that look on his face, the blissed out, far away look. Dropping down, he casually took his cock in his mouth, and in moments was swallowing around it, the tip bumping against the back of his throat.

**And... that was pretty much the thing that did it, the demon couldn't hold it back any longer and he had to let go, he didn't even have time to warn the other. "Shit-" Bill cursed and came inside Dipper's mouth, throwing his head back, his mouth open wide in a silent moan of pleasure.**

Dipper slowly bobbed his head as the demon came, swallowing down the warm liquid with ease and sucking softly until he was sure Bill was done. Pulling back, he licked his lips with a satisfied little smirk.

**That was amazing, but now Bill was a little bit embarrassed because Dipper had done a better job than him without getting much of a warning. "Damn you, sapling," he murmured once he got his breath back. The demon moved to a sitting position. "I don't know if I should be impressed or jealous."**

Dipper's smile widened. "Well... I'd go with impressed. I have had a lot more practice than you when it comes to pleasuring human males," he teased.

**"Well, see, that's just another reason for me to be jealous." Bill pulled Dipper closer and kissed him. "I'm still the hottest though, right?"**

Dipper kissed him back. "Oh, yeah, most certainly," he murmured, smiling. "And I care about you more than any of them."

**Bill grinned and then stood up and stretched a little. "It's great to know you have good taste for some things," he teased the other and then grabbed something to eat from the supplies.**

"I have great taste in all things!"  He laughed, pulling back so he could clean them both up and pull his pants back on.

**Bill raised an eyebrow and eyed Dipper's clothes. "Sure..." he said sarcastically. That was okay though, he liked Dipper anyway.**

Dipper just grinned, grabbing one of the bottles of water and taking a drink before offering it to Bill. "Just because you don't like my style, doesn't mean I don't have one."

**Bill took a bottle and drank as well. "Your 'style' shouldn't be considered a style at all." Bill handed the bottle back to Dipper. "You still have your looks though, don't worry," he reassured him with a grin.**

Dipper just shook his head. "Better get used to it, cause it isn't changing any time soon."

**Bill let out a dramatic sigh. "The things I need to endure..." he said and then laugh and kissed the human again. "I think that's the only thing I like better from the bad Mason, but we can't have it all, right?"**

"I know, isn't it just awful," he said sarcastically, leaning forward slightly as they kissed. "No, you can't. You're stuck with this one."

**“That’s okay, I don’t know much about the other one and the few things I know kinda make me want to rip out his eyeballs already,” Bill said and kissed Dipper’s cheek. “Do you think they’ll be wondering where we are?”**

Dipper laughed. "Fair enough," he agreed, nodding after a moment. "Oh, I'm sure. But Mabel hasn't called yet, so it can't be that bad."

**“Great, that means we can stay here a little longer unless you want a real breakfast, of course.” Bill was actually a little worried about his eye... He had completely forgotten to take off the lens last night since he had no place to put it, but he supposed waiting a little longer to take it out wouldn’t be that bad... He did want to stay away from Dipper’s family a little longer.**

Dipper laughed a little. “This is fine.” Smiling up at Bill, he was struck by a thought. “... you’re still... shit. Your contact...” sighing a little, he shook his head slightly. “Your eye is gonna be pretty irritated when you take it out. I’d recommend not wearing one tomorrow if you can get away with it.”

**The demon bit his lip. "Damn, really?" He rubbed his eye a little. It was true that it stung a bit but could it really be so bad that he wouldn't be able to use it again tomorrow? "I'll stay out here then," he said and then he carefully took off the contact.**

He nodded a little, watching him. "Yeah, you really aren't meant to sleep in them or anything," he said gently, cupping his cheek once the contact was out and looking at his eyes. "Yeah, it's a little red, but not too bad."

**The demon sighed and rubbed his eye again. "I completely forgot about it and you didn't say anything..." The demon smiled and then looked up at the sky, blinking a couple of times.**

"I forgot about it, too," he hummed softly, looking up at the sky as well. "I can get you another set and bring it out. You can wear my sunglasses until then," he offered.

**"I don't really mind staying here for another day, I won't have to work," Bill said and grinned, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. Part of him couldn't help but think that maybe Dipper hadn't noticed because he preferred him that way, more 'human', maybe that was another reason why he didn't want the demon to get his power back.**

"I can stay with you if you want?" He offered with a smile, running his fingers through his hair, smiling a little- before pausing. That... oh. Okay. That wasn't... "What's wrong?" He asked softly, moving so he could gently press his fingers against Bill's arm.

**Bill glanced at the human and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" He replied to Dipper's question with one of his own, clearly evading it. He wasn't going to admit that insecurity of his.**

"You're unhappy. Something's wrong," Dipper said firmly, carefully sliding his hand around Bill's wrist and holding lightly. "I can tell- your eyes give it away. If I did something, I need you to tell me so I can try and not do it again. Or we can work something out so it doesn't happen again."

**"Eye," Bill corrected Dipper and then he looked away once again. "But I'm fine, kid, really," he tried to convince him again. Why was Dipper always so set in talking about this kind of things? The demon needed to start getting better at hiding his feelings or else their whole relationship would be like this forever.**

"Eye. You're right. I'm sorry," he agreed, slowly running his thumb over the inside of his wrist. Something was wrong, he knew it, and while he'd listen if Bill said he didn't want to talk about it, he couldn't stand it when he tried to hide it. Mainly because Dipper had spent so long honing his skills to hide his feelings, and he knew how bad things could get without someone to ask. "Bill," he said, soft, soothing, understanding. "If I can help, I want to. That's what I'm here for, remember?"

**Bill sighed. Well, at least in this case the human could help r try to do something about it, it wasn't like last night, it wasn't like the thing that was bothering him had happened millions of years ago and Dipper hadn't been involved at all. The demon didn't say anything for a couple of minutes but eventually, he gave in. "You didn't notice the contact and-" he rolled his eyes- "my stupid half-human brain came up with a stupid assumption."**

Dipper paused, and it didn't take very long for him to reach the proper conclusions. "Bill... Oh, sweetheart, no." He moved closer, gently cupping the demon's face and gently coaxing their eyes to meet. "I love your eye, okay? It's... well, it's very you. I just.. had a lot of other things on my mind last night, I didn't even think about the contact. I'm sorry I made you feel like I liked you more with it on."

**Bill wasn't all that convinced though. "It's very me, wouldn't that be the problem? It's one of the few things that give away who and what I am..." The demon rubbed his face and sighed. "It's stupid, I know and I know you have other reasons not to want me to get my powers back right now, nothing to do with that, but-" he groaned in frustration, human emotions were so annoyingly complicated sometimes- " forget it, it was just a stupid thought."**

"It's not stupid. Nothing you feel is stupid," he said firmly, letting go of his face to catch his hands instead. "The fact that it's very you isn't a problem, not to me. Because I like you for you, Bill, not for someone you're pretending to be. "I want you to get your powers back, I just want to be safe. I don't want you to have to hide from anyone, I hate that we've resorted to contacts instead of just leaving it be. But I like your eye. A lot." He paused, smiling slowly. "And it's okay to need reassurances sometimes, to need me or want me to say things like that. There's nothing wrong with needing me to validate you sometimes."

**Bill kept silent for a long moment before he nodded a little and let his head drop on Dipper's shoulder. "Alright... I'll try to remember that..." he murmured and ran his fingers up and down Dipper's thigh, eye fixed on them. "You truly don't care about that side of me? You're not just saying that to make me feel better? You wouldn't want me to be completely human?"**

Dipper smiled softly, resting his hand on the back of Bill's head and oh so carefully playing with his hair. "Good. And I can always remind you," he said, just as softly, as he held still and let Bill take the comfort that he needed. "No... Bill, I really don't care. I want you, okay? All of you- the demon and the human."

**Bill gulped a little. He knew the other was trying to be reassuring, but it wasn't exactly working. "But there won't be a human anymore once I get my powers back," he reminded Dipper.**

"But it'll still be you," he said firmly. "The experiences from this time aren't just going to disappear, so the demon-you is going to have changed a little." He paused, huffing a sigh. "What I'm trying to say is, I don't care. You could be fully human, or demon and a triangle, or half and half. And my feelings wouldn't change."

**Now that did make the demon feel a little better. "Well... certain aspects of our relationship might get a little complicated if I'm a triangle though," Bill pointed out, smiling once again. "But if you really wouldn't mind..." Of course, he was just messing with Dipper, if everything went right, once he got his powers back he would be able to easily change form at will, so that wouldn't be a problem.**

Dipper paused before laughing, shaking his head. If Bill was able to tease like that, he must be feeling better. "Oh, I'm sure we would have figured something out, we're both pretty smart."

**"Mmm, true, I do have a tongue in that form..." the demon said as if he was actually considering it. There was no need though and, at least when it came to getting physical with Dipper, this fleshbag he was in now was pretty good and it gave the demon room for improvement as well... He already had a long list of ideas to try with the human once he got his powers back.**

"And I would have a pretty fun time trying to see if there were any sensitive places on that body," he mused, humming thoughtfully before smirking slowly and shaking his head. "We'll just have to see what happens, huh?"

**Bill smirked and nodded. "Definitely," he said and kissed the human's nose. It was just a matter of waiting now, waiting and reading a lot, researching, studying... Bill didn't have a lot of faith about finding something that would make the risks of the spell go away, but he was going to let Dipper have some hope and he would definitely help him.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this is a bit of a treat before the storm... be ready for the last chapter of this part, people.


	20. The Beginning of the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill and Dipper perform the ritual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp... Here it is. Don't hate us, we just love angst and drama way too much, - Alga

**Another two weeks passed before Bill could convince Dipper once again of doing the ritual. They had found a few things that would supposedly make it safer but there really was no guarantee and the demon knew Dipper still wasn’t convinced about doing it but... the demon really couldn’t wait any longer, he was done and they had researched day and night and hadn’t found anything completely safe yet, they probably never would. So there he was now, getting everything ready once again while Dipper tried to convince Ford to give him the knife this time.**

Dipper stood at the top of the stairs to the lab, not going down just yet, not announcing himself. Ford would try to talk him out of it, again. But there wasn't much he could do, he was out of reasons to wait, they'd made the ritual as safe as they possibly could. And... he wanted Bill to be happy, wanted him to get back what was taken from him. Straightening his shoulders and letting out a breath, he headed down the stairs. "Ford?"

**Ford was busy coming up with his own solution to the problem, destroying the statue and the power within it. He had had the spell to do it for quite some time not, but he knew that energy nothing could truly be destroyed, just transformed, so he had been working on a device to store the remains of said destruction so that it wouldn’t create more problems. When Dipper went into the lab he was finishing with the final touches. “Yes, Dipper?” He looked over his shoulder at his nephew and offered him a smile.**

Dipper smiled back, letting himself relax as he crossed the lab to stand next to his uncle. "I need the knife," he said simply, sliding his hands in his pockets. "We've spent weeks researching, we've made it as safe as we possibly can... so we're doing the ritual." Pausing, he nodded a little.

**Oh, great. “Dipper...” Ford sighed and rubbed his forehead before turning around completely. “I was hoping maybe this two weeks that had passed would make you come to your senses... Doing this isn’t a good idea,” he told the younger man. “I’ve been working on a way to destroy the statue...”**

Dipper tensed slightly. "You can't do that," he said softly, backing up a little. "You can't destroy the statue, Ford. We have to try and see if this works. I made a deal- more importantly, I promised I'd try and help him. We've done everything possible to counter-act the possible consequences. So... please. Just, let me do this, alright? I know what I'm doing."

**Ford’s shoulders dropped and he let out a long sigh. He didn’t like this... But Dipper was convinced about doing it and if he refused to give him the knife he was sure that his nephew would manage to find another one and do it anyway, without his help. “Alright...” There was one last thing he could do though, just in case things went wrong. Maybe Dipper had already found it, but he had the feeling Bill would have done anything to avoid that, so the chances of him finding it on his own weren’t high. “You know about the binding spell, right? In case your precautions don’t work?”**

Dipper relaxed, letting out a slow breath- he needed to calm down, he was way too high strung. He blamed nerves, he was still paranoid. There was nothing that was going to completely stop that, no matter how many safety precautions they used. He arched an eyebrow, frowning slightly. "Binding spell?" He asked, looking up at Ford again. "What's that?"

**Just like he had thought, Dipper had no idea. “It’s the only spell that can give someone control over a demon like Bill, I discovered its existence during my travels, but I never got the chance to use it because it requires you to get close enough to touch him.” Bill knew of the spell and back when they were mortal enemies he had never given Ford the chance.**

Dipper nodded slowly, coming a little closer. Oh.. that.. He wanted to trust Bill, to not have to worry about it, but... Just in case, there were still consequences they just couldn't account for. And while he did trust Bill, there was just no telling what could happen. "Can... Do you know it? Can you show me?

**Ford nodded and stood up. He opened a drawer and from there he pulled a small box. “I’ve had this prepared for decades,” he told Dipper and opened the box to show its contents. There was a small gold triangle and a ring with the same triangle on it. “You need to get this-“ he pointed to the small triangle- “on his skin, it will stick to him and stay there. If things go wrong then you need to put on the ring and recite this.” Ford wrote down the spell and handed it to Dipper.**

Dipper took the spell, reading it over to make sure he understood the words and how they were said. Satisfied, he slipped it into his pocket before taking the box, closing it carefully, and adding it to his bag. “Alright. How do you take it off, then? If nothing goes wrong?”

**“If you don’t activate it will come off with water,” Ford explained. “Let’s hope it’s not necessary, but promise me you’ll be ready to use it if Bill realizes what you’re trying to do before you finish the incantation...” Ford looked away. He didn’t want to think about what would surely happen.**

Dipper nodded firmly. “I will be, don’t worry,” he assured, a dark look on his face. Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that, but... he felt better, knowing that he had a solution if necessary. “The knife, please.” He held out a hand, smiling a little as he waited, the bag still open.

**Ford nodded and opened another drawer from where he took out the knife. "There you go. Be careful, Dipper, please," Ford said, a worried look on his face. He really feared for his nephew's safety. "Do Mabel and Stan know what you're about to do?"**

He took the knife, wrapping it up before stowing it in his bag. "Thank you," he hummed, making sure it was safely packed before tossing his bag over his shoulder. "I will. I promise," he assured, smiling faintly. "Mabel has a pretty good idea, I didn't tell her everything, but she's kinda got it. Stan doesn't."

**"Yeah... might be better that way," Ford said and sighed. He knew his brother would like it just as much as he did, maybe even less. He might like Bill now but he was still the reason why his memories weren't all there yet, Stan had experienced in a deeper level than any of them the kind of damage Bill could do and he would worry way too much about Dipper, maybe even try to get in the way if he knew what the couple was trying to do.**

Dipper nodded, letting out a breath. "Yeah, that's what I had thought. It just seemed like one too many variables." Smiling, he said his goodbyes, turning to head out into the woods. It didn't take him very long to reach the statue, sliding the bag off his shoulder. "Hey, Bill."

**Bill had finished preparing everything about half an hour ago and he had been waiting for Dipper, pacing around the statue, nervous and out of his mind. He was really worried about Ford refusing to give them the knife again o Dipper simply not wanting to go through with the ritual, again. When the other called him and got his attention, Bill smiled a little, but it was obvious he was still tense, prepared to hear bad news. "Hey, kid. Did you get it?"**

Dipper set his bag down, opening it and pulling out the knife. Unwrapping it, he held it up with a smile. "Got it." Setting it down, he took a seat, patting the ground next to him. "Come here for a second, though. You look nervous and I want to talk about something."

**Shit, there it was. "No, no, Mason, we're doing this today," he told the other, his expression already showing a bit of anger even though the other hadn't implied they wouldn't, not yet. Bill didn't move from where he was.**

“I know we are,” he said soothingly. “There’s just something I want to talk about first. It’s okay, just come here.”

**Bill hesitated for a moment but he finally gave in and went to sit in front of Dipper. What could it be so important that they had to wait? He sure hoped it wouldn't be that Dipper had found the binding spell he had been trying to keep hidden from him... The demon definitely wouldn't accept using that, in fact, if Dipper so much as implied he was thinking about using it, Bill would already feel betrayed.**

Dipper pulled out the box and set it between them, along with a water bottle he’d grabbed from the kitchen. For a moment, he was silent. “So... Ford gave me this,” he started, undoing the clasps and opening the box to show Bill the triangle and ring. “And obviously I was going to talk to you before even considering using it. However, we both know that none of the precautions we set up are actually going to do anything, even if the chances of needing them are slim. And you know I’d never use something like this against you, right? I’d never do something like this against your will, I brought water so I’d be able to take it off right away if nothing went wrong.” Shutting the box, he reached out to gently touch Bill’s knee. “It’s up to you. I won’t make decisions for you. But it’s... well, the only thing we know that both won’t hurt you, and actually work, if something went very wrong.”

**As soon as Dipper showed him the contents of the box, Bill's expression turned dark. He did let the other talk though, explain himself, but he wasn't going to change his mind about this, it simply wouldn't happen. "No," he said, eyes fixed on Dipper's. "I'm not letting you touch me with that, no way," he added and then grabbed the knife and stood up.**

Dipper stood quickly, catching his wrist- light, gentle, easy enough to pull away if he wanted to. "Why?" He asked softly, honestly needing an answer.

**Bill pulled his hand away and clenched his jaw. "My 'no' should be enough for you, Mason." Bill wanted to trust Dipper, but he just... he couldn't, not completely, no yet and definitely not when he came to him holding the only kind of chains that could work on him.**

Dipper stepped forward, putting himself into Bill's personal space. He wasn't aggressive, giving Bill plenty of outs, ways around him, being sure to never really trap him. Physically, at least. "Normally it would be. But, Bill, this is really important. You could die, or lose your memories, or I could die just from being nearby, so I need a little more reassurance than that."

**Bill took a deep breath, trying to keep himself together. Alright, Dipper needed a reason, he would give him a reason. "That thing there-" he pointed at the box- "would take away my free will, would you really do that to me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.**

Dipper flinched, breath catching in his throat. He didn’t want to go there, but... “And a you that has all your powers but no memories of the past few months is going to try and torture and kill me,” he said quietly, staring over Bill’s shoulder. “What happens then? I have no other solutions.” Squaring his shoulders, he settled his hands on Bill’s shoulders. “Do you trust me?”

**The demon stiffened and glanced at Dipper's hand, then back at the box on the ground. He didn't remember the other taking the piece of gold and there was fabric between Dipper's hands and his shoulders, so he was probably okay. Still, he was a little paranoid. "I want to, Dipper, but with this, I don't think I can," Bill said and then made the golden knife fly to his hand with his mind. "Please stay back, everything will be fine, we took all the safety precautions you wanted."**

Dipper hadn’t grabbed anything out of the box- he wasn’t going to trick him into this, he wasn’t cruel or wicked. “Bill,” he said quietly- and it was probably too early in the relationship for the words going through his mind, so he was quick to change it. “Those precautions are nothing. They weren’t meant for the most powerful dream demon in the multiverse, they were meant for minor demons. At the very most, it’ll be an annoyance. We both know that. We faked it the entire time.” Slowly, he slid his hands up, resting them on his neck and brushing a thumb against Bill’s cheek. “I’d never do anything to hurt you,” he murmured, meeting his eyes. “I’ve proven that time and time again, every time I’ve put my life in your hands. Trust me, Bill. It’s never been more important.”

**Trust... It had always seemed to be the most stupid thing in the universe to Bill. Everyone eventually tried to stab you in the back. But damn, he wanted to trust Dipper, he wanted to believe he would always be the exception to the norm. Still, this seemed too big, too soon. "I've seen what this spell does, I don't think I would even trust myself with it," he murmured and looked down at his feet.**

Dipper pressed a kiss to his forehead, shaking his head a little. He was starting to make a little progress, slowly but surely... if after this talk, Bill still refused, then Dipper wouldn’t push any farther. Wouldn’t trick him or force him. But... “You can trust me,” he said softly, pressing their foreheads together. “You’ve had to for so long, right? The number of times I could have done something to hurt you is staggering. I’m not going to start now, sweetheart.”

**Bill closed his eye and shook his head a little. "But if I changed you would. Like it or not, Pine Tree, that would still. Be. Me." The demon moved away from the human and with the knife he cut the palm of his hand. "I'm sorry, but everything is going to be fine, have a little faith, Pines." Bill grinned and closed his hand, letting his blood drip over the statue.**

“No, I wouldn’t. There are about six million other solutions I’d think of first,” he said firmly, swallowing thickly, hands shaking slightly as he shoved them in his pockets. “Like you are?” He finally snapped. “Right, I’m supposed to have faith in you but you don’t have to have any in me, right? I’m just supposed to have faith that the you that comes out of this isn’t going to want to kill me, but you don’t need to have the same faith in me??”

**Bill dug his nails into the wound, making the blood drip faster. He didn't want to listen, but Dipper had a point. But he was so afraid of those chains, he knew how bad they could be and accepting them would be like accepting defeat, accepting bad things would happen. "It's not faith in me, it's faith in the cursed Axolotl!" Bill shouted and opened his eye which had turned blue. Blue flames started to envelop Bill as the statue began to glow the same color. "But if you're so sure everything will go to hell then fucking do it, make the choice yourself!"**

“Because he’s done anything to earn my faith!? He’s the reason we’re doing this in the first place!” He yelled- the box was already in his hands, opened. “It affects you too, I want you involved in it! I shouldn’t have to fight with the person I lo- care for about something that risks our lives!” He was already moving, though, the ring was on and the triangle in his hand, the box on the ground as he quickly moved forward.

**"He's also the reason I'm back!" Bill yelled, frustrated. The fire turned red, as well as his eye and the statue and then the demon's body, hiding his face as he shouted in pain or ecstasy, it really wasn't all that different.**

Dipper didn’t answer- he also didn’t think, just pressed the tiny piece of metal against Bill’s wrist and backed up as quickly as he could. Crouching next to his bag, he drew the spell out and waited.

**The cries of pain quickly turned into mad laughter and Bill's silhouette turned pitch black. The statue was gone and there was only Bill floating above the place where it used to be. The demon opened his eyes, two of them, both yellow with slit pupils. The black went away and he was wearing a suit, much like the one he had ordered months ago, except now he also had his hat, floating over his head, and a cane. "Oh, Gravity Falls! Always good to be back!" He said and then looked down at himself, making a face when he realized he had a human form. "No, no, this won't do," he added and his body started shifting as he turned back into a yellow triangle.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOOO... Yeah, this is the last chapter and I know there's a horrible cliffhanger there, I know. The story is not over, it's far from over, Night and I are still rping this story, so you can imagine just how long it is. We simply decided to continue in another fic, make this a series, because there are new characters and new relationships that ended up developing because these two assholes do whatever they please, not what we want them to do... So yeah, we just preferred to separate what was strictly BillDip from the rest. I'll be posting part two of this series in the next couple of days. We'd love to know if you're excited about it! -Alga


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